The Chronicles of Stella Lupin Black
by Windswept Willows
Summary: The story of Sirius Black's daughter as she encounters a world feared by Voldemort and plunges into a lifetime of adventures during her years at Hogwarts alongside the celebrated Golden Trio.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter, this is only a fanfiction.**

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"Me? But... but... Padfoot! Stripes! What about them, Albus?" the man asked desperately, amber eyes wide with anxiety from behind sopping wet brown bangs.

The tall, elderly man before him smiled sadly, his blue eyes mournful. "Have you not heard?" he questioned sorrowfully, drawing his perfectly dry purple robes closer in an effort to keep warm in the overhead storm's bitter cold. "Lily, James and Sapphire were found dead in Godric's Hollow last night, and Sirius Black is currently in Azkaban for the murder of twelve Muggles and Peter Pettigrew." Here he paused, glancing down protectively at the small cloth bundle in his arms. "They wanted you to raise her if something bad came up. Severus rescued her from the ruins, he found her under Silence, Fidelius, and Disillusion Charms. I was her Secret-Keeper, as you should well remember."

The little color in the golden-eyed man's face drained out completely as he sank to his knees. "Dead?" he croaked in disbelief, stunned. "Lily... Prongs... Wormtail... Stripes..." he stammered brokenly, tears gleaming on his scarred cheeks. "That can't be..." Suddenly he grew even paler, if that were possible. "Albus!" he gasped, clutching the hem of the man's cloak in sheer desperation. "Harry! Where's Harry?" he asked frantically.

Albus managed a sad, melacholy smile. "Safe," he answered quietly before staring straight at the man, cerulean eyes seeming to pierce right through to his soul. "So, my boy, will you accept?"

This seemed to wake the man from his grief, his eyes widened with shock as he struggled to get up to his feet. "But... but I'm not safe! My condition!" he cried out. Albus' eyes twinkled slightly despite the sorrow etched deeply in the many lines of his tired face.

"Ah, precisely the reason you are her perfect guardian. You see, the Lunaris family has long been connected with Voldemort's followers. Sapphire herself was promised to Voldemort, to bear his heir. When Sapphire openly rejected the Dark Mark, shaming Voldemort in front of his Death Eaters, his anger caused him to unleash a curse on her, a curse that would affect the life of her firstborn child."

"A curse?" repeated the man, in horrified awe.

"Yes," Albus replied, smiling wryly. "The curse of a werecat."


	2. Character Profiles

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter, this is only a fanfiction.**

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_Original Character Profiles (Will be updated regularly)_

Full Name: Stella Phoenix Black  
Child of: Sirius Orion Black and Sapphire Azure Lunaris  
Current Age: 11  
Date of Birth: October 29, 1980  
Hair Color: Black  
Eye Color: Blue  
Height: Petite  
Weight: Slender  
Wand: Seven and a Quarter Inches, Swishy, Birch with Kneazle Hair  
House: Gryffindor  
Year: 1  
Other: Werecat

Full Name: Vulpecula Lyra Lestrange  
Child of: Unknown  
Current Age: 11  
Date of Birth: May 15, 1980  
Hair Color: Black  
Eye Color: Amber  
Height: Average  
Weight: Slender  
Wand: Ten and One Third Inches, Inflexible, Hawthorn with Dragon's Heart Strings  
House: Slytherin  
Year: 1  
Other: Rumored to be the daughter of the infamous Bellatrix Lestrange


	3. Chapter One

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter, this is only a fanfiction.**

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The man's golden eyes widened as he staggered back with shock. "What?" he choked in surprise. "Did you just say…?"

Albus smiled, eyes twinkling slightly now from behind his crystal spectacles as he drew from his cloak several wrapped sweets. He unwrapped one and offered it to the man. "Lemon drop?" he asked in his queer way. The man stared open-mouthed at him, was he really offering him Muggle candy at a time like this? "I suppose that's a no," Albus concluded cheerfully, popping the sugary yellow confection into his own mouth.

The man waited impatiently for an answer, but the silvery-haired man didn't seem to notice as he happily chose another sweet from where a stash was inevitably hidden beneath the many folds of his violet robes. Finally, he burst out, "A werecat!" It was not a mere exclamation, more of a question, and it hung in the air for several long moments after it had been said. It seemed to have the desired effect, Albus looked up sharply from his lemon drops to meet the bright amber eyes with his own piercing blue.

"Albus," began the man more gently now, "Is she really…" he trailed off uncertainly there, waiting anxiously for his answer.

Albus seemed to consider the question for a moment as he unstuck another two lemon drops. Finally, he looked up and gave the man a slight nod. "I'm afraid she is," he confirmed gravely, and this simple statement seemed to confirm the worst of the younger man's fears, as he drew in a startled gasp.

"But why me?" he finally asked slowly, staring pleadingly at Albus Dumbledore. "Why me, why not you, or Severus, or someone, you know," Here he seemed to be struggling, as if not sure whether to finish his question.

"Someone not a werewolf," finished Albus softly. The golden eyes flinched with pain and shame, lowering to meet the ground before slowly, hesitantly daring to look up again at Albus. He was still wearing that same sad, sympathetic smile he'd worn since he'd first arrived, but there was a new fire lighting in his eyes, a new determination that had not been there before. "Do not be ashamed, Remus," Albus said reassuringly, uttering the man's name for the first time since his arrival. "Not many are brave enough to endure such sheer agony every month, and fewer still are brave enough to admit their weaknesses to their friends." There was a hint of teasing in his voice, and Remus seemed to duck his head in embarrassment in memories of his friends and his own monthly escapades to the Shrieking Shack during his years at Hogwarts.

"But why?" asked Remus once more, his voice urgent now. "Why not someone else?"

"Because," Albus answered surely. "If Voldemort had found her like he wanted to, he would have become unstoppable."


	4. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter, this is only a fanfiction.**

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"Unstoppable?" Remus repeated dazedly. "What do you mean?"

Albus looked rather disappointed. "Honestly, Remus, you graduated with the highest marks in your year-"

"-after Lily, you mean," Remus interrupted, a touch of his usual dry humor back in his voice.

"After Lily, of course," Albus said, looking highly amused rather than offended. "Such a bright girl, Professor Slughorn doted on her, I quite remember."

Remus snorted quietly, an image of the pudgy, bald old man with the huge, walrusy silver mustache quivering with excitement on his upper lip coming to mind again. Albus continued as if he hadn't heard, but his lips seemed to twitch ever-so-slightly in amusement. "But anyway, you got ten OWLs, wasn't it?"

"Nine, actually," Remus said, mouth twitching. "The examiner didn't seem to think writing '_One: he's sitting on my chair. Two: he's wearing my clothes. Three: his name's Remus Lupin…_' was an appropriate answer for '_Give five signs that identify a werewolf'._"

Albus couldn't hide a smile at that before turning serious again and maintaining his usual dignified look as he persisted in his explanation. "You always were a true Marauder," he mused softly before adding, "Anyway, nine or ten, that's still quite impressive for one of the students who spent more hours serving detention than sleeping." Remus ducked his head again, flushing at the memories and guilt that overwhelmed him as he remembered his few friends taunting the Slytherins and himself sitting quietly to the side, nose buried in a book, doing nothing to hurt or help the victims of his friends' taunts. "Even if you failed your Defense Owl because of fooling around, I'd expect you, of all wizards, to realize what happens to were-whatevers, be it cat or wolves!"

"You mean," Remus said, looking vaguely horrified as he fingered an old scar, "Transformation every full moon?"

"Of course," Albus replied. "But luckily, were cats are sane during their transformations!" He said it as if that one favor in the condition made it desirable to be a werecat.

"Yes," Remus said, now speaking as sarcastically as Snape had during his school years. "How wonderful, you can think like a human while you're being chased up a tree by a dog or eating raw mouse. Yip-pee."

Albus's smile never faltered. "It is wonderful, isn't it?" he asked gleefully, seeming perfectly serious. "You can cast spells and spy for the Order as a cat, and no one would suspect a thing!"

Remus stared open-mouthed at him for a moment before regaining his pride and asking rather humbly, "I'm sorry, Albus, could you please elaborate?"

"No worries, my dear boy," Albus replied genially. "As an Animagus, as I'm sure you're well aware," Here he turned an amused stare to the flushing werewolf, "You can transform at will into an animal, at anything, while remaining sane. As a werewolf, you will, no matter what, transform into a wolf, only during the full moon, and you will not, no matter what, remain sane, retaining the mind of a wild wolf. As a werecat, you can transform at will into a cat, nothing else, and only after your thirteenth birthday, and you will, always, again, after your thirteenth birthday, transform into a cat during the full moon. You will remain sane, yet the mind of a real cat will lurk in the depths of the mind, filling the corners and cracks even when you're not transformed. You will forever be part cat."

"How do you know all that?" Remus asked in stunned awe. Albus smiled.

"Werecats may be few and rare, but during the late thirteenth century one brilliant werecat was smart enough to hide, deep in the crevices of Hogwarts own library, his own scrolls on the subject. Madam Pince was horrified at the state of them, she spent hours fixing them before bringing them to me for further examination. Very bright child, died of a curse too powerful for even all his nine lives to cure, sources inform me."

"Wait, what?" stuttered Remus. "Nine lives?"

"Why, yes." Albus said, smiling benignantly. "Nine lives. All cats have nine lives, didn't you know?"

"That's but a Muggle tale!" Remus exclaimed.

"Actually, it isn't!" Albus contradicted brightly. "Most cats just die of causes too severe for nine lives to cure!"

"Such as," prompted Remus, looking slightly interested despite his reluctance to believe the silver-bearded man's claim.

"Car accidents," replied Albus promptly, "Collapses their lungs, not even one thousand lives can heal that severe of a wound. Severe blood loss, too, probably strangulation as well."

"And ones they can survive?" Remus added.

"Avada Kedavras, heart attacks, most sicknesses, small injuries, you know, that sort of thing," Albus listed, a lemon drop finding its way back to his mouth.

"So if Voldemort were to recruit her," said Remus slowly, paling again.

"He would raise her to become the most evil, unstoppable weapon he could ever have," finished Dumbledore gravely. He suddenly turned to Remus and beamed. "And that, my dear boy, is precisely why you have been chosen to protect her and Lunaris."

"Lunaris?" questioned Remus. Dumbledore gestured Remus to come closer, which he did, and slowly, deliberately, Albus pulled off the cloth wrapping of the bundle he held close to his velveteen robes. Inside, sleeping peacefully, was the smooth, unlined face of a child, her cheeks rosy, lashes dark and long, hair soft and curling gently about her forehead. From beneath Albus's long cloak something rustled eerily, and a silvery gray creature leapt out. Remus couldn't help but stare. Slender and graceful, with silver spotted tabby fur and haunting sapphire eyes, it resembled a cat, but no cat looked ever so, so spriritual. Its paws seemed to float as it stepped closer to Remus, and its stare was as piercing as Dumbledore's.

"This is Lunaris, first spirit-guardian born to protect a were-cat for many centuries," Albus said. He offered the child to Remus, who hesitated. "Her life is in your hands," Albus said softly. "Will you accept?"

Remus stared down at the child, then at the cat, then finally at Dumbledore. His hands closed around the bundle without hesitation now. "I will," he replied determinedly, and Dumbledore smiled.

"I wish you the best of luck, my boy," Dumbledore said, and with a soft _pop _he Disapperated. Remus stared where his tall figure had been moments before, then finally down at his two new charges.

"Well, come on now," he said to the cat, and with a swift nod, the cat went darting up the path to the small, shabby cottage where Remus lived, himself and the child following. Inside, he set her down tenderly in his own bed, her cat following quickly. With quick, soft breaths, the cat fell asleep as well, but Remus had a feeling it was still half-awake and was still watching him. He stepped back a respectful distance before looking quietly at the tiny baby and whispering, "Stella Phoenix Black. Stella Phoenix Lupin. Yes, that sounds right. Stella Phoenix Lunaris Lupin. Perfect."

And with that, Remus walked into the living room to sleep on the sofa, for the first time in many years to come.


	5. Chapter Three

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter, this is only a fanfiction.**

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The next morning, Remus Lupin woke to a loud shrieking noise that grated his extra-sensitive, wolfish ears. Pulling on his shabby house-robe over his nightshirt, he peered blearily through sleepy amber eyes into his former bedroom, which was now being occupied by his two young charges, a certain Stella 'Lupin' and her 'kwitty' Lunaris. The child's rosy pink mouth was stretched wide open as she howled uncontrollably, despite Lunar's soft cooing noises as the cat petted her cheek and stroked her head with the tip of her tail. At the sound of Remus stepping on the creaky floorboard, the cat turned and gave Remus the most reproachful look, as if saying, "This is your fault, so you should fix it."

Blinking until he was properly awake, Remus came as close as possible, that is, as close as Lunar tolerated him to go before hissing. Standing respectfully by the invisible border, Remus tried to see what was the matter with the child. Perhaps she was hungry? He went into the kitchen and heated some milk with his battered wand. The child didn't seem to want it, she spluttered it out when he tried to feed it to her, but Lunar was happy enough to drink it, and from then on allowed Lupin a little closer to the bed.

Lupin tried to remember what Lily had told him once during a visit to the Potters. What was it again? Oh right, rocking a baby. She'd insisted it was the proper way to get rid of nightmares, and though he was highly skeptical (Muggles were very odd, after all), he might as well give it a try. Inching closer slowly, occasionally glancing cautiously at Lunar, he gently picked up the child. Slowly her bawling quieted, and she stared up at him silently. He smiled softly at her. Suddenly she giggled and Remus, to his great humiliation, felt the oddest warm liquid slide down his arms and onto the front of his robe. She hadn't? Quickly replacing the child by Lunar on the bed and wiping his forearms on his already soiled robes, Remus took a deep breath and with great dread, changed her considerably wet diaper.

It wasn't that bad, he supposed as he reflected on his first major parenting event, she hadn't fretted too much and Lunar took over after he'd finished his duty, licking her forehead and purring to her till she fell asleep once more, leaving Remus free to shower and change into something cleaner. The day went on normally, with Lupin occasionally visiting the two to drop by some warm milk and cream and food. So the next few weeks went on in peaceful bliss, with Lunar slowly but surely warming up to Lupin, finally allowing him to pet the spirit-cat, a privilege reserved only for the tired-looking man who provided the cat and his kitten (Stella) food and drink.

Remus's first full moon came all too soon, he tucked Stella in with a light, feathery kiss on her forehead and fixed Lunaris with a stern stare that said more than any words could have before locking the door to his bedroom, pulling off his tattered robes, leaving him in only a shirt and boxers, and locking himself in his cage, the huge steel cage he trapped himself in once a month, where he allowed himself to transform into the huge, giant gray-brown monster that had once terrified Hogsmeade villages during his school years when he and his friends used to travel to the Shrieking Shack every full moon to transform. It was worse now, he knew, without any other companions, he yowled and bit and scratched himself and tried to get free from the cage he'd locked himself in. Yet somehow, as he was transforming this full moon, he saw through eyes half-closed in agony, Lunar slip shadowlike from under the door crack and over to his cage, where he sat, purring quietly to the werewolf. Lunar became his new companion during his unsightly transformations, the cat's low purr seemed to bring back sanity to the werewolf's tiny mind. Lunar licked his wounds clean gently and covered Lupin's bare back with his warm traveling cloak when Lupin collapsed, exhausted, after particularly harsh full moons. Though the cat was allowed in to watch Lupin transform, Stella was always sent to her aunt Andromeda's house during the days leading up to the full moon, for Lupin never wanted any harm to come to her.

And it was with a particularly healthier-looking Remus and a much friendlier Lunar that Stella's first Christmas was celebrated, with bright fairy lights strung about the rafters of the tiny cottage and the enticing smell of hot apple pie wavering from inside the kitchen. Much butterbeer and eggnog was consumed by Remus and Lunar, and plenty of pie by Stella, and by morning all three were feeling quite content as they unwrapped presents, mostly catnip, lemon drops, and a large DADA book for Lunar, Stella, and Remus, respectively, from Albus, and a neatly-arranged assortment of fudge and mince pies and goodies from Molly Weasley, who was a good friend of Remus.

Stella celebrated her second birthday with another odd family, the Weasleys, a very poor but very kind-hearted pureblooded family of redheads whom had invited Remus, Stella and Lunar over. The Weasleys had seven children; Bill, the eldest of which, at age twelve, was away at Hogwarts. Charlie and Percy were both very excited, and could hardly wait for the day when they too could join their eldest brother at the Scottish boarding school, while Fred and George just wanted to play pranks, and Ron and Ginny were still too young to care. It was a very interesting place to have a party, being very tall, very high, and slightly lopsided; every possible nook and cranny was charmed to glow bright rainbow colors, every available space in the kitchen crammed with delicious homemade cakes and desserts, every banister hung brightly with paper ribbons and streamers. The party was cheerful and happy, with Fred and George smiling wickedly as they swapped real wands for fakes, opened wizarding crackers, and lit the ends of fireworks with a match swiped from their father's study. Percy commented smartly about the Ministry of Magic's current affairs while Remus, Molly and Arthur talked about everyday trivia as Charlie entertained the children by pulling funny faces and trying to pet Lunar, ending up with a scratched face, much to Stella's great delight.

And so went Stella and Lunar's first year of living with Remus Lupin.


	6. Chapter Four

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Disclaimer: Harry Potter is © of J.K. Rowling, I do not own it in any way (but I wish I owned Remy, Sev, and Siri!)

Chapter Four

Stella grew to be a curious, inquisitive child, with a pretty gap-toothed smile and bright blue eyes. Remus was always very stern about bringing her to her Aunt Andromeda's or to the Burrow during the full moons, he had no want for her to get hurt at his expense. There was no objection from either household at this monthly sleepover, the Twins and Tonks adored the child, and Molly, Arthur, Ted, and Andomeda spoiled her shamelessly with boxes of candy and muffins to bring home. Lunar would have gone with her as well, he was never too far behind her while she explored Remus's small quarters, but the cat had grown so attached to Lupin that he stubbornly refused to leave the werewolf's side during transformations. Remus respected the cat's wishes, but occasionally he did tell the cat to go and make sure his young charge was quite safe and content.

With Remus's monthly disappearances and the Weaseley's eccentric house, it was rather obvious from Day One that she would be raised as a witch. Though rather fond of Muggle music, Stella was already flying around on an old Cleansweep with the Twins and Ron when she was four, and trying to mimic Tonks's unusual Metamorphagus abilities when she was five. Remus got quite a kick out of that one, he nearly jumped out of his skin at the sight a blue-haired (courtesy of three bottles worth of cyan hair dye) Stella, her face heavily smudged with colorful clown makeup. Lunaris had been up at night trying to lick off the stuff for weeks, and the Twins were still howling at the mere memory even months later. She begun saying "Bwoody 'ell,", "Son of a bwanshee", "Hwippogriff caught in handwights", and "Merwin's beard," when she was six, much to Molly's disapproval and the Twins's glee, and by the time she turned seven her hair had been streaked with 'permanent' blue dye she'd managed to conjure with Remus's 'lost' wand. She still had yet to learn her father's true name, a fact that was Remus's greatest shame, or the fact that her 'Daddy' was actually a werewolf whose ex-best friend had been a psychotic mass murderer currently locked up in the Wizarding World's most dangerous jail for the worst criminals.

"Where we goin' today, Daddy?" asked she in her curious childish lisp she'd somehow picked up as she trotted beside Remus, Lunar by her side. The tall, shabbily-dressed man looked down warmly at the tiny nymph-like girl he'd raised for six years. She was still rather small, with curling, jet black hair and delicate, aristocratic features that marked her the true Black pureblood she was, and Remus could never look at her directly without noticing the hauntingly familiar resemblence between her and Sirius Black. Andromeda, Ted, Molly, and Arthur all knew, of course, about her father, but he never told them about her curse, fearing the worse for his little girl. He often contacted Albus, to see if perhaps there was a chance the curse had not been administered correctly and that she might live a normal life, but the old wizard always shook his head and gestured toward her spirit-guardian, of which one had never been seen for centuries, and which could only be born the precise moment a werecat was also welcomed into the world, created from angel-spirits and moon-clouds, with a touch of star-shine and night-darkness.

"To see an old friend of mine, Stell," he replied steadily. She brightened instantly, and Remus felt a pang as he remembered how Sapphire's blue eyes used to sparkle the way her daughter's did now.

"Is he fun to play with?" Sapphire asked hopefully. Remus couldn't resist a chuckle at that thought. Amos Diggory, fun to play with?

"Not exactly, sweetheart," he replied gently. Her face fell, and he quickly hastened to add, " But I'm sure his son will want to play, he seems like a nice young boy."

"Does he look like Fwed or Gweorge?" she inquired curiously. Remus shook his head, inwardly hiding a dry grin at the image of a younger version of Amos with bright red Weasley hair and freckles.

"No, but I'm sure you can pretend that he does, right?" Remus replied, hiding a smirk when his 'daughter' pulled out a tube of bright red lipstick snitched from Andromeda's vanity.

"I gwots my imagwination wight here, Dwaddy," she said, gesturing to her arms, which were full of different shades of red and orange lipsticks.

"Does Aunt Andromeda know you took those?" asked Remus, adopting his stern, fatherly voice. In turn, Stella adopted an innocent, wide-eyed look that went perfectly with her angelic face.

"Yes Daddy, but I didn't take 'em, Tonksie did," she replied innocently, widening her big blue eyes even more.

"Tonks is at Hogwarts with Charlie, sweetheart," Remus informed her dryly. "You must have forgotten."

"Oh!" Stella gasped. "Oopsie," she said sheepishly. "Me's sorry, Daddy."

Remus sighed resignedly. "I told you not to steal Auntie's things. If you do it again, you'll be in big trouble, alright?"

"Fwine," snapped Stella in slight defiance, crossing her arms over her chest and succeeding in dropping all of her lipstick on the sidewalk, which, as they were going downhill, began rolling away. Stella hurried after them, Remus and Lunar following quickly. Her eyes fixed on her 'imagwination', Stella paid no attention to where she was going, and soon crashed promptly headfirst into the warm body of a person.

"Looking for these?" a lighthearted voice asked in amusement.

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AN: Finished! Thank you for your review, love-cdc, you're officially my second and therefore very-best reviewer ever! And thank you to all those who favorited and reviewed, you guys are amazing!

-The Last Gypsy Princess has logged off


	7. Chapter Five

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Disclaimer: Harry Potter is © of J.K. Rowling, I do not own it in any way (but I wish I owned Remy, Sev, and Siri!)

Chapter Five

Gulping nervously, Stella looked up to find a light-brown haired boy towering over her. He was very tall, she thought to herself, taller than both Fred and George, certainly one of the biggest kids she'd ever met. He seemed to be only a few years older than her, yet he looked down at her with the sort of kind warmth and amusement her father did when she did something silly. "Sorry," she squeaked pathetically, taking back the lipsticks he held out to her before backing away slowly and promptly losing the rest of her dignity by turning tail and running to hide behind Remus.

"Hello, Amos, Cedric," Remus said warmly, with a nod to a tall man coming up behind the boy. The man brightened.

"Remus! How good to see you!" the man said warmly, clasping Remus's hand firmly in his own. Remus flinched at his sheer grip, Quidditch had done well on the muscles of the former Hufflepuff chaser. "Ah, sorry, mate," Amos apologized sheepishly, loosening his grip a bit. "Anyway, what brings you 'round these parts, Lupin?" Remus smiled mysteriously.

"Is it a crime to want to see an old friend again?" he quipped dryly. Amos laughed heartily, clapping his boy's shoulder brightly. The boy, to his credit, did not stumble, merely grinned weakly.

"Dad," he said, wincing slightly. "I told you, you forget your own strength sometimes." Amos roared with laughter.

"Thatta boy," he said warmly. He turned to Remus. "You know Cedric, I hope? Brilliant at Quidditch, could play professional, and he's only nine!"

"He takes after you then, I suppose?" Remus asked.

"I wouldn't say so," Amos said, a ghost of a smile on his lips. "Gryffindor always seemed to beat us, Potter was an excellent chaser, eh?"

Remus managed a half-hearted smile. "I wouldn't know, Amos, after all, I was allowed to be biased toward my own friend's abilities."

Amos looked taken aback. "Oh, I forgot! So sorry, Lupin, must have been a real shocker to hear that he and that pretty wife of his had been-" He was cut off by Remus, who gave him a warning look and pulled Stella to his side.

"You might want to be quiet, now, Amos, there are children present," Remus said warningly. Amos's eyes widened from behind his spectacles.

"Blimey, Rem! Last time I heard you lived alone, never knew you'd got yourself married and with a child!" He chuckled. "But then again, it's been awhile, hasn't it? Tell me, Remus," he said, leaning forward eagerly, "She pretty? What's 'er name, eh?"

Remus flushed slightly. "Still not married, Amos, always have been single and always will be," he said assuredly.

Amos looked confused for a moment before he broke into a wide grin. "Never pegged you for that type, Lupin, you seemed more interested in that book of yours than girls, unlike a certain Siri-" Once again, Remus cut him off.

"As I have said before, Amos, children are present," Remus said, with a touch of irritation in his voice. Amos flinched slightly. "Anyway, Stella's situation is, er, _special_, you could say." He didn't want to lie to Amos, the man might be a bit overwhelming, but he was a truly good man, but Stella and Cedric were both listening on curiously, and he didn't want to reveal too much more.

"Ah," Amos said understandingly, before turning to Cedric and grinning wickedly, reminding Remus so strongly of Sirius and James that it took all his strength not to look away. "Stella, eh? Pretty name for a pretty girl, eh, Ced?"

Cedric's ears flushed red and he shuffled his feet. "I told you Dad, I'm not interested in girls yet!" Stella looked slightly offended, but instantly cheered up as Amos turned to her with a warm smile.

"Don't mind Cedric, he's a bit headstrong, takes after his mum, like I'm sure you took after your father and mother, little one," he said warmly. Stella smiled toothily when he handed her a lollipop from his jacket.

"Thwanks, mistwer!" she said, her voice bubbly as she sucked on the lollipop.

"Still carry candy then, eh, Amos?" Remus asked dryly. Amos scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.

"The kids love it, and it helps to suck a good Sugar Quill during work, you have no idea how hard the Ministry is on its workers now!"

"No, I wouldn't, I've been denied a job in the Ministry of Magic's office for years," agreed Remus wryly. Amos looked sympathetic, he was one of the few who knew of Remus's condition.

"Hard time still, then, huh?" he asked. Remus nodded. "She can come visit us, if that's what you came here to ask," Amos offered generously. Remus looked grateful.

"Thanks, Amos," he said. "Molly's busy and 'Dromeda's out, Ted got in a nasty run-in with the Malfoys."

Amos looked vaguely disgusted. "So old Lucius is still alive? Son of a banshee, he was, I hoped You-Know-Who had killed him before… you know."

"Nope, he's still very much alive, and his wife too," confirmed Remus lightly.

Amos grinned. "Narcissa Black, right? She's pretty, but that expression on her face… I always wondered if she smelled dung in her coffee or something."

Remus cracked a rare humorous grin. "Probably Malfoy's hair gel," he replied gaily. Amos laughed.

"True Marauder till the end, then?" he asked. Remus's grin faded as memories flooded his mind, of a beautiful red head, of a girl with sapphire eyes, of two black-haired boys flying on broomsticks, one very handsome the other with wire glasses perched carelessly on his nose.

"Yes," he said quietly before turning to kiss Stella goodbye. "You behave yourselves, alright?" he said, gaze fixed on Lunar in particular sternly. Stella nodded and Lunar managed a defiantly ice-cold glare before inclining his head slightly in final respectful, if not reluctant obedience. "Good. I'll see you soon?" he asked Amos.

"Soon," echoed the man, watching as Remus turned and walked way, shabby brown robes whisking behind him. He finally turned to the two children and Lunar. "So," he said brightly, "Let's go home, shall we?"

He led them to the house, a respectable home with a swept lawn and a pretty garden out front. Unlocking the door, he ushered them in, saying grinningly, "Don't have too much fun, okay?" before running up the steps before Cedric could complain.

When he was gone, Cedric turned slowly to see Stella grinning evilly at him. "Wanna pway bweauty pawlor?" she asked innocently, holding up some lipstick. He gulped as she cornered him against the wall, that odd cat of hers watching at the scene in front of it in amusement.

"Help!" he gasped.

****

AN: Oh, Ceddy. Hope he's okay when she's done with him. Ah, well, Remus should have known not to let a slightly crazy seven-year old armed with lipstick enter a boy's house. Heh heh. Thanks for the reviews, I really appreciate it! Alice, ..serious, love-cdc, and Bri P. all receive digital Acid Pops for their awesomeness. Thank you once again, keep reviewing, and wait in joyful hope for the next update.

-The Last Gypsy Princess has logged off


	8. Chapter Six

****

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is © of J.K. Rowling, I do not own it in any way (but I wish I owned Remy, Sev, and Siri!)

Chapter Six

"Daaaaaaad!" The loud wail floated up the steps leading up to Amos Diggory's bedroom, and quick as a Snitch, he hurried down the staircase, dressed in navy blue wizarding pajamas with Puddlemere United's intersecting golden bulrush logo splashed across the front, his wife at his heels, also in pajamas, but in dark green with a talon on the front, the Holyhead Harpies signature emblem. The turned wide-eyed to find Cedric trying to desperately flee from the wrath of Stella, whom had used up five tubes of lipstick and was warming up on Cedric's robes with her sixth, doodling crimson hearts on the hem of Cedric's scribbled-on yellow (you can tell he's a Hufflepuff-in-training) robes.

Mrs. Aspen Diggory could barely hide a grin at her son's red face, but Amos promptly burst out howling at the sight of Cedric. Painted clumsily across his cheeks were smiling faces, and his nose and face was done up in stripes of gold and red. His short brown hair was streaked with red and ginger, and his robes now resembled the work of some strange abstract artist drawing in ketchup- or blood, Amos thought in silent amusement.

"Heeeelpp meeee!" yowled Cedric, his voice screechy as a cat's. Amos managed to see through his tears of mirth Lunar, that odd cat of Stella's, pinning Cedric's robes down with his claws. Stella glared up at Cedric, a pout on her face.

"Gweez, Cweddy, you'we like a hwippogwiff in weadlights," she complained noisily. "Swtop fidgetwing, me's twying to dwess you up in pwincess dwesses," she ordered bossily, scribbling a lacy hem onto the ends of his sleeves, her tongue stuck out in sheer concentration.

"Why are you helping meeeeeeeee?" screamed Cedric in frustration. "Get this psycho and her freaky cat offa me!"

Aspen couldn't resist teasing her son a little. "Now, now, Cedric, that's no way to talk to a lady, is it?" she asked scoldingly, wagging a finger at him. She turned to Stella. "I have no idea who you are," she announced bluntly, making Amos flinch when he realized what he'd forgotten to tell his wife, "But I like your style! Want to borrow some of my lipstick?"

Cedric shrieked in horror as Stella nodded eagerly, her curls bobbing up and down. "Wes Pwease," she said cutely.

"Great!" smiled Aspen. She drew her wand. "Accio lipstick!" A box of hundreds of rainbow lipsticks zoomed down the stairs and sat themselves in Aspen's waiting arms. She dumped them beside Stella, and with a wave, said, "Have fun, kids! See you little ones later! Tootles!" And with that, both she and Amos swept back up the stairs grandly, ignoring their son's increasingly higher-pitched shrieks for help as Stella attacked his hair again with purple, yellow, and orange lipsticks.

After ten more minutes of this cruel game, Stella sat back with a sigh. "Me twinks you's dwone wif makewup, Ceddy," she informed him sweetly. "Wanna see wour fwace?"

"Yes!" he replied indignantly. She carried a small mirror to him from where she found it in the bottom of the now considerably lighter lipstick box and, with a grunt, held it up to his face.

"Wike the cwool cowlors?" she asked eagerly. Cedric stared, hazel eyes wide, transfixed, at the mirror for several seconds before breaking into an evil grin.

"I love it!" he exclaimed. Stella beamed. "You did a great job! I love my hair especially!" He turned an admiring stare to her. "You are a true master at makeup. Mind if I do you next?"

"OK! But first, you have to pway me millions of Galleons," she told him very seriously, holding her palm out. He stared at her, dumbfounded, for several seconds before kissing her on the cheek and grinning wickedly as he pulled back, noting the bright pink blush on her cheeks.

"There you go, millions of Galleons paid in person!" he replied cheerfully before rummaging through the remaining lipsticks and finding an obnoxious violet shade at the bottom of the pile. With a well-practiced evil cackle, Cedric proceeded to attack her face mercilessly with the lipstick, much to the irritation of an over-protectively-fatherly Lunar, who, under the orders of Remus, could do nothing but hiss in annoyance.

When he was finally done, he stood back, admiring his masterpiece. Stella's formerly coal black hair was now striped green, pink, and yellow, with her face a pitch black and golden circles around her eyes. Her tiny black robes were blood red now, with silver stripes and orange flying unicorns painted on. She beamed up at him. "Cwan me's swee the mwirror nwow?"

"Sure!" he replied all too eagerly, shoving the mirror in her face so closely some of the black lipstick on her nose smudged the smooth glass surface. She examined herself for several minutes before he finally heard a sniffling noise. He drew back the mirror, satisfied by his revenge, but was shocked to find Stella smiling, tears of joy running down her cheeks.

"Twank you so much!" she sobbed happily in his robes as she threw herself at him. He stared at her, taken aback, before she looked up at him again, eyes sparkling. "Wanna pway again?" she asked.

Cedric stared before finally breaking in a grin. Okay, so she was slightly crazy, but, she was irresistible anyway! "Sure, I'd love to!" he agreed cheerfully.

"OK!" cheered Stella, picking up a lipstick. "Weady, swet, gwo!" And with that, the two tackled each other, armed with tubes of lipstick and plenty of energy.

Thirty minutes later, Amos and Aspen Diggory went downstairs to have lunch, slightly concerned about Cedric and Stella, whom they could still hear shrieking and screaming even from upstairs. Imagine their faces when they saw the two wrestling, both with heavily colored faces and clothes, tubes of empty lipstick scattered around them. Aspen was the first to recover from her shock.

"Look at your faces!" she howled, her voice causing both to look up from their scuffle. "You look like clowns!" she screamed in hysterics, leaning against her husband for support.

When she'd finally composed herself, she ordered them both to the bathtub with a smile, saying, "You two wash up, if I see a smudge of lipstick on either of you by bedtime, then no bedtime stories!"

Stella gasped. "No Twales of Beeda thwe Bward!" she wailed.

Aspen hid a smile. "No Tales of Beedle the Bard," she agreed seriously, inwardly wondering how exactly the down-to-earth Prefect Remus Lupin had come across such an eccentric child.

Sulking, imaginary tails dragging on the floor, the two untangled themselves from one another and went into the two separate bathrooms to wash their faces, spurred by Aspen's threats of no bedtime stories. After all, what sane child wanted to miss hearing the story Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump?

But by lunch, both children looked perfectly normal again, minus the faintest smudge of black on Stella's nose, and after entertaining each other by squirting milk from their noses and pretending to be drunk, they realized, perhaps, that maybe even psychos with freakish cats and weird pretty golden boys can be friends. And later, snuggled innocently together on Cedric's bed, with soft sighs of how she wished children remained innocent forever from Aspen, Cedric knew, deep down, that Stella would one day become one of the most important people in his life.

****

AN: And, done! I was originally going to skip ahead to when Stella turns eleven and receives her Hogwarts letter, but a review from ..serious inspired me to add this chapter. Bit fluffy, with a lot of C/S at the end for the fan girls, I know. Three updates in one day, to make up for the time I won't be updating this week because of tests and homework. See you guys hopefully soon.

-The Last Gypsy Princess has logged off


	9. Chapter Seven

****

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is © of J.K. Rowling, I do not own it in any way (but I wish I owned Remy, Sev, and Siri!)

Chapter Seven

The sound of happy shouts and childish laughter filled the Diggory household all throughout the week as Cedric and Stella tramped about the stairs, singing "Ninety Nine Bottles of Firewhiskey On the Wall" as they played indoor Quidditch and literally destroyed everything in their path. By Wednesday, Amos Diggory was sporting a Bludger-sized bruise on the back of his head, and on Thursday, Cedric nearly chipped his tooth on a runaway Snitch that had somehow burrowed its way into Aspen's best treacle tart. Stella had locked herself in the upstairs bathroom after dinner to laugh in private, Cedric banging angrily on the door, having found the whole situation not as funny as she obviously had.

"I could have choked, you know!" he shouted irritably.

"Bwut it was funny, Ceddy! Fwunny!" she howled hysterically, banging her tiny fist on the wall, tears of pure mirth springing from her eyes. When Amos finally extracted her from the bathroom forty minutes later with several unsuccessful Alohamora charms and only one successful Muggle chainsaw, she was still in hysterics, and told Aspen frankly as she was dressed in small purple pajamas and tucked in beside a still-deeply wounded Cedric that "You and Wamos are nicest as Mwolly and Twonkies and Wemus. Are you knows me Mwommy?"

Aspen shook her head, blinking back tears that were threatening to fall and said, "No, sweet." She saw that oh-so familiar disappointed look cross those irresistible sapphire eyes, and suddenly she felt seventeen again, crying with Sapphire Lunaris about how stupid and thick boys were after once again catching their womanizing crushes snogging with some random blond bimbo in an upstairs broom closet. "But Amos and I will be your new mommy and daddy when Remus is gone, okay?" And suddenly that sparkle was back in her eye, and Aspen felt as if she was nineteen again, squealing excitedly with Sapphire and gleefully flashing their beautiful diamond engagement rings at each other.

"Ywes please, Mwommy," replied Stella, and she held her arms up for a hug. Aspen wrapped her arms around the girl's fragile frame and breathed in the familiar scent of honey and sweets, with just a hint of what seemed to be wet dog. Marveling at the oddity, (really, wet dog?) Aspen finally managed to breath again as Stella let go and, with a soft, satisfied sigh, fell fast asleep on her side of Cedric's bed. As Aspen brushed back a stray lock of the child's beautiful dark locks, she caught a flash of hazel peering secretively at her before Cedric resumed his seemingly fast asleep state. Regarding the two lying side by side beneath warm quilts, Aspen smiled nostalgically, a single tear making its way down her cheek as she finally walked out of the smallest bedroom and shut the door softly.

"Remus! What a surprise!" Aspen exclaimed the next morning as she held open the front door for a rather worn looking werewolf, his robes in a disarray and fresh scars marring his thin cheeks. The man managed a weak smile as she ushered him in with her usual motherly tone. "Do come in, you look awful, if you'll pardon me for saying so."

"I suppose I could stay a bit, but I'm certainly not ready for anything fancy," said Remus, looking down at his robes rather self-consciously.

"Oh, don't worry! Amos is in the kitchen cooking breakfast for the children, and Stella probably, ah…" Aspen's bright voice, which had been reassuringly optimistic at first, gave a rare pause as she waited for something.

A shrill, giggly shriek pierced their ears presently, followed by a rough, "Oh know you don't!" from Cedric as the two flew haphazardly down the steps on broomsticks, bright eyes fixed on the golden Snitch, Stella struggling to veer past Cedric's already broad shoulders, which he used slyly to block her way. Presently, his nimble fingers clasped around the small metal ball, and he let out a triumphant whoop. "Got it!" he exclaimed proudly. He flashed a winning smile at his mother. "See, Mum? I won again!" His voice had that touch of boastful pride Remus recognized dimly to be the sort of airs Sirius and James used to use after a particularly grueling match with the Slytherins.

"Nwot fwair, Ceddy!" wailed Stella as she swept by. She stopped abruptly as she noticed Remus, who was still frozen, eyes wide and mouth gaping. "Hwello Daddy!" she burbled joyfully, springing off her broom to hug him. The man, caught off guard, stumbled at the girl's sudden weight. He seemed to be about to fall, but just then, Amos Diggory appeared and caught Remus around his arms.

"Falling for me already, eh, Lupin?" Amos joked good-naturedly. Remus did not respond as he rubbed his arm, where he knew an old scar had just been reopened during the latest full moon. Aspen's eyes widened at the unconscious gesture of pain.

"Oh, how rude of me, I forgot. Why don't you children go eat, and we old-timers reminisce."

"Reminisce?" echoed Cedric questioningly.

"Pwobwably mweans to pway bwall or something," Stella replied dismissively as she raced off, Cedric at her heels. Neither noticed when the three adults and cat slipped away to tend to Remus and listen to his story in, of all places, the loo.

"Oh, you poor thing," moaned Aspen sympathetically as Remus peeled off his shirt to reveal his heavily scarred back and torso. She and Amos quickly and hastily worked their way around his chest, replacing bandages and treating open wounds as Remus, wincing due to the combined pain of his wounds and antiseptic, recounted the tales of his last full moon, all unaware when Stella paused just outside the slightly ajar bathroom door hoping for a 'potty break', but smart enough to realize not to go in when someone else once. She could hear the faint whisperings of voices travel out, and caught several snippets of the conversation from outside the door such as "full moon," and "werewolf". Wait. Werewolf? Whaat?

Suddenly, the door swung open, nearly banging the poor girl on the nose. She darted away quickly to the dining table and slid into her chair, ignoring Cedric's questioning look just as the rest of the gang trooped in to eat. Remus slid into the seat beside Stella, his face looking much better, with neat bandages on his cheeks and a new set of robes (courtesy of Amos) on his thin frame, Lunar on his other side and the Diggorys opposite from him. As they ate, Cedric made Stella (who had by then forgotten all about the intriguing conversation she'd overheard by the bathroom door) laugh with bouts of accidental magic, sparkles flying from his fingertips, while Amos chattered proudly on about how Cedric would definitely make the Hufflepuff House Quidditch Team, between Remus's dry interjections about if he'd be good enough to not be smothered by Gryffindor again.

"Don't laugh too hard, you might choke," Remus cautioned sternly between bites of food as Stella shrieked hysterically at a rabbit-eared Cedric, but Stella shrugged him off.

"Dwon't worrwy, I'm OK!" she giggled, before suddenly hiccuping so hard as Cedric's hair and skin turned bright pink that she flew several inches in the air. As she hiccuped, she bounced up off her seat several times, earning a satisfied sigh from Remus.

"Good, so you are a witch," he sighed approvingly.

"Exswuzze mwe?" Stella asked indignantly.

****

AN: Not one of my best chapters, I'm afraid, but it shows a little bit of the past, as well as a few hints into the future. Bit of a filler really. Hope you guys like.

**-The Last Gypsy Princess has logged off**


	10. Chapter Eight

****

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is © of J.K. Rowling, I do not own it in any way (but I wish I owned Remy, Sev, and Siri!)

Chapter Eight

"You. Are. A. Witch." Remus enunciated calmly. Stella looked very offended.

"Ceddy, Dwaddy's bweing a mweany-fwace again!" the 'slightly' immature seven-year old cried. Privately, Remus thought she was being overdramatic, but with a father like Sirius Black, that would be expected, he thought amusedly. Cedric looked up from his eggs.

"Oh, uh, sorry, Stella, wasn't paying attention," he said apologetically, eying Stella's toast appreciatively with a calculating look in his normally friendly hazel eyes. Remus suddenly noticed a faint red smudge on the boy's forehead.

"Amos," he began slowly. "Why is there lipstick on your son's forehead?" Amos, in the middle of his bacon, looked up, a wide smirk working its way across his face.

"Why don't you ask your precious little angel of a daughter?" he suggested straight-facedly. Remus turned sternly to his adopted daughter.

"Stella," he began warningly. The girl seemed to be so immersed in her food that she did not hear him. "Stella," he said again, with a hint more annoyance in his voice. The tiny girl huffed, crossing her skinny arms over her chest.

"Me's not twalking to Dwaddy till he walogizes," she stated stiffly. Remus raised an eyebrow.

"Walogizes?" he asked Cedric quizzically. The boy shrugged, mouth crammed with Stella's toast.

"Apologizes," he translated, his voice slightly muffled by the toast. Stella glared at him icily.

"Mwy twoast!" she howled mournfully, banging on the table, very much sounding like the ghoul in the Weasleys's upstairs attic. Remus glanced at her sternly.

"That is not very nice, Stella. Please stop," he ordered. Stella sulked, but stopped her howling and banging.

"Mweanie hwead," she muttered rebelliously, glaring daggers at her 'father' through ice blue eyes. Remus hid a smirk, he could still remember Sapphire looking at him in the exact same way after he'd accidentally spilled ink over her 'slaved-over' Transfiguration homework. Suddenly he noticed most of the table staring at him wide-eyed.

"What?" he asked rather self-consciously, feeling once again like the little shaggy-haired werewolf boarding the Hogwarts Express for the first time and meeting the overwhelming pureblood duo- James Potter and Sirius Black. Wordlessly, Amos pointed toward his robes, his mouth twitching suspiciously into what looked like a grin. Remus looked down to find the blue cloth slowly turning jet black, with blood red letters spelling out "All Hwail Kwing Remy da Devil,". He laughed dryly. "Yup, definitely turning out like Sapph," he remarked to Amos, who grinned widely despite looking slightly teary-eyed.

"Who's Sapph?" Stella asked curiously. Remus flinched. He could feel the little girl's bright eyes fixed on him, but couldn't bring himself to speak.

"An old friend of mine," Aspen interjected smoothly. Remus sent her a grateful look as she began rambling skillfully about her schoolday misadventures to the excited girl.

"Thank you," he mouthed. A tiny smirk tugged on the corner of Aspen's mouth, but she did not reply. Stella seemed satisfied, and pointed to Remus.

"Ywou called me a witchy," she accused. Remus smiled dryly at her before gesturing at his robes.

"Who do you think did this?" he asked. Stella's eyes widened.

"Nwot me!" she denied furiously. "Iwt was Ronnie's fault!" Remus stared hopelessly at her. Yes, it was obvious, the Twins had spent way too much time around her.

"Ron is currently sick with the flu. How could he have done this?" Remus asked wryly. Stella shrugged innocently. He looked her in the eye. "This was your doing. You see Cedric snap his fingers and sprout rabbit ears, and the Diggorys wave sticks of wood and make things fly. That's magic, right?" Stella nodded obediently. "You can do magic too, okay?" Stella pouted, tiny face scrunching up in thought.

"Bwut me don't twry to wuse mwagic. Me just mwad at Remy," she explained in confusion. Aspen took over.

"Cedric doesn't have a wand either," she said softly. "But both of you can still do magic because you are witches and wizards like us, but not old enough to receive a wand, understand?" Stella nodded once more. She turned to Remus and buried her face in his robes.

"Mwe's sworry Remy's wrobes are weirdy now," she sobbed, sounding remorseful for once in her lifetime. Remus broke in a small smile and stroked her raven head.

"Don't worry. I can fix it, see?" he said in assurance, waving his wand. "Scourgify!" he murmured. His robes cleaned themselves immediately, and Stella couldn't help but hiccup in awe.

"Wow," she breathed in her small voice. She stared up at Remus with those giant blue eyes of hers. "Remy is best dwaddy ever!" she exclaimed.

Amos smirked. "Hey, what about me?" he asked in a mock-hurt voice. Stella's eyes widened, and with surprising force tackled the burly man from across the table. He caught her, though unsteadily, and stared as she nuzzled in his warm scarf.

"Amos is nice twoo," she murmured softly before turning to Aspen. "Hwug?" she said hopefully.

"Fine," Aspen sighed, inwardly cursing those irresistible blue eyes. "But just one, you and Remus don't want to be late to the Burrow, I hear Molly's having turkey tonight."

"Turkey?" said Stella after releasing Aspen from a particularly tight hug.

Aspen smiled. "Why of course. It's Thanksgiving soon, after all."

"Bwye!" Stella said quickly, hopping down from her chair,and dragging Remus to the door.

"Not so fast!" he laughed.

"But me's hungwe!" she complained.

"You just ate three plates of eggs," Remus pointed out dryly. Stella smiled.

"Mwe stwill hungry," Stella said, as if that explained everything. Remus chuckled, and with a small wave to the Diggorys, walked outside, the tiny girl toddling beside him, off once again to see the Weasleys.

**AN: I think this chapter went a bit too fast, but high demand for a new chappie prompted me to send this one off. Don't hate me if it's bad, I put plenty of Stella fun inside. Review!**

**-The Last Gypsy Princess has logged off**


	11. Chapter Nine

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is © of J.K. Rowling, I do not own it in any way (but I wish I owned Remy, Sev, and Siri!)**

Chapter Nine

"Hello, Stella!" the Twins chorused cheerfully from where they poked their heads over an upstairs banister. Their freckled faces were split in identical wide grins, and at her beckoning gesture, they gave loud cackles and without hesitation hopped on the stair rail and slid down the banister to greet her. She burbled happily in their embrace.

"Hwi, Fred, Hwi Gweorge!" she exclaimed brightly as they swept her up in their arms. Nearly eleven already, and already taller than their mother, the Twins towered over the tiny eight-year old, but they had never tired of having the girl toddling behind them while they terrorized the rest of the household, unlike they had of Ron, whom had been demoted from 'brother' to 'we have no idea who he is' after failing his first rookie mission of stealing cookies from the enchanted cookie jar (as he'd been too slow in snatching the cookies, the jar chomped on his hand).

Remus smiled slightly as he noticed Ron lurking moodily behind the Twins, in his hand a suspiciously green lollipop. Acid Pops. As a retired prankster himself, it was a bad habit of Remus's to ignore the danger and, with a tiny wink to the slyly grinning Twins, slip off into the kitchen to talk with Molly and Arthur.

Just as the Twins and Stella had finished giggling as Ron howled, a hole burnt in his tongue, and settled down to play Gobstones, Exploding Snap, and Wizarding Chess, the doorbell rang. Molly bustled over, wiping her hands on her apron, and undid the latch, ushering the latest arrivals inside. Stella's eyes lit up as she recognized Amos, his face slightly pink as Molly fussed over him and Aspen. The Diggorys!

Stella, ignoring the Twins's curious looks, ran over and launched herself on their latest visitor, a slightly surprised and more than embarrassed Cedric Diggory. As he staggered in, trying hopelessly to get the clingy child off him, the Twins stalked over like cats, a suspiciously crafty glint in their blue eyes. Cedric noticeably stiffened as they edged closer, circling him like vultures. "Er, hello," he said uncomfortably as Fred stuck his face close to Cedric's own for a closer examination. The two did not answer at first.

"So who's he, Stella?" George asked finally. Stella beamed, tightening her grip and burying her nose in Cedric's robes, unaware that the Twins were shooting a fidgeting Cedric even frostier looks as she did so.

"Twis is Cweddy!" she proclaimed happily, rubbing her cheek against his leg like an affectionate pet cat as Lunar watched on in masked amusement. He was beginning to color slightly, as well as break into thin sweat at the hawkish glares he recieved from two particularly overproctective, envious twins.

"Get off me Stella," he said weakly, eying the Twins warily, noting out of the corner of his eye that all the adults had deserted the kids, presumably to chat and drink a bit while 'the kids go and have their fun together'. Right. Fun. Cedric noted dully that during times of great pressure, he turned sarcastic. Kind of like Mr. Lupin himself. Except he didn't dump off his kid every month at somebody's house and leave her there for a week or so. Not that Stella was a bad thing to have around, it was just... Sigh... How could he put this? Eh, _odd _how the man treated the girl with such affection yet always left her alone a week every month. Very strange.

As Cedric was pondering this, the Twins had huddled together to chat in private about the weird new kid with hazel eyes and a way of making Stella latch onto his body permanantly. Was it a Sticking Charm? Whatever it was, the mere sight of Stella glued to a, a, a _boy _of all things made their fists clench. Why? They hadn't a clue. Stella was just like their little sister they never had. Finally the twins broke apart, having reached a conclusion- Cedric was to be banished- he was actually Lord Voldemort in disguise!- only to turn around, ready curse him with a snitched wand from Diagon Alley, to find the boy actually playing nicely with Stella and Lunar with toy broomsticks, of all things! Fred and George watched, stunned and gaping, as the hazel-eyed brunette gently showed Stella each of the tiny, working broomsticks and figures of international Quidditch sensations- Aiden Lynch, for example. Suddenly the boy turned around and offered the boys a tiny, if not sincere smile. "Would you two like to play as well? I'll let you guys borrow my Comet Three-Sixty later too, I brought it so I could fly, but you can try it if you want..." he trailed off hesitantly, but Fred and George were already grinning warmly at him and slapping his shoulder playfully like he was a long-lost old friend.

"Sure!" they replied, settling down on either side of Lunar. Fred brushed aside several loose chess pieces and withdrew a pack of Chocolate Frog Wizarding Cards to swap with Diggory while George scratched behind Lunar's ears and nibbled thoughtfully on a Pumpkin Pastry Cedric had mysteriously obtained. Later, as the Twins, Cedric, Stella, Ron, a slightly blushing Ginny, and even Lunar flew about the yard throwing apples to one another in midair, they didn't notice their parents watching them fondly, hints of nostalgia in their eyes as the children and cat played, Stella occasionally losing her grip and tumbling off, only to be caught by one of the Twins, or even an unsuspecting garden gnome as it trundled secretively through the long, wild grass, cursing like a drunken sailor as a bundle smashed into it from skyward. The Twins were chortling good-naturedly about that one for years later.

"How sweet," Aspen remarked dreamily, chocolate-brown eyes glowing in the dim light. "The boys actually aren't killing each other." Molly narrowed beady eyes at her disapprovingly, but her husband chimed in.

"True, true, Aspen. I was sure they'd be at each other's throats!" Amos said grinningly. Molly's eyes softened slightly as the other two men murmured agreement.

"I suppose Fredrick and George did seem a bit touchy when Cedric came in, Aspen," she said finally.

"It's all puppy love and brotherly protectiveness, really," Remus commented thoughtfully. The adults sat in companionable silence for awhile before Arthur voiced all their thoughts in seven simple words.

"But will it turn into something more?"

**AN: Friendship's the main idea in it, with all the Weasleys and Diggorys and Lupins and Black all getting together. Ah, brotherly love... Reminds me of the Ouran High manga... Heh heh. Anyway, review?**

**-The Last Gypsy Princess has logged off**


	12. Chapter Ten

****

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is © of J.K. Rowling, I do not own it in any way (but I wish I owned Remy, Sev, and Siri!)

Chapter Ten

"Me's miss Ceddy, Remmy," Stella told her father once sadly, most of her childish accent once again leaking through her lips. Nearly eleven now, with her tousled dark hair streaked with blue from a prank gone wrong, Remus could already see the Black blood in her, with that long black hair, and pale skin of hers, though, like he'd hoped, she took mostly after her mother, with large, shining blue eyes and a pretty, pixie look. Cedric, Fred and George had left home for their second year of Hogwarts, and Stella, though she enjoyed Ginny, Tonks, and Ron's company, was being to crave the boys again. Remus smiled to himself secretively as he watched Stella sit by the window a few months later, Lunar curled up peacefully in her lap, Stella's blue eyes fixed intently on a half-finished scrapbook of the Twins, Cedric and her.

It had been quite fascinating, really, to see Stella bid farewell to the boys two years ago that fateful September morning, her eyes filled with tears and her face snotty as she sniffled a sad goodbye for the first time. She'd almost immediately perked up the next year and attempted to look slightly dignified when Fred and George introduced her to Oliver Wood, a friendly Scottish boy, and the Captain of the Quidditch team, on which Fred and George played as Beaters now. Wood had almost made Stella swoon, Remus had noted in amusement, as the handsome youth observed her thoughtfully and proclaimed her a potential Chaser-in-progress.

She'd managed to warm up to Lee Jordan, a black boy with wavy dreadlocks and a warm grin, as well, soon hugging him as eagerly as she did to Cedric and the Twins. Cho Chang, a pretty Chinese girl whom Cedric seemed to have a slight crush on, was scowled at darkly by Stella however, and the Twins found great entertainment as Stella remarked, grinning falsely, "I love your hair! What dye did you use?"

Remus had to stifle a chuckle when Cho had looked totally mortified before replying, in an equally cold voice, "This is natural, unlike yours, you little blueberry!" The Twins barely made it to the Hogwarts Express before nine, their sides split laughing, as Stella chirped brightly in reply, "Oh, thank you! I love blueberries! They're much better then blackberries!" Cho had turned a sickly shade of green at the thinnly veiled insult, before, with a small 'humph', she stalked away, her nose high in the air, Cedric trailing behind her, a hand over his mouth stifling giggles. Remus had 'forgotten' to punish Stella for her smart mouth, it reminded himself of the good old days.

But now, sitting together quietly in the cottage's living room, Remus felt older than ever. Stella had been living with him for nearly nine years now, and Remus had grown to think of her as his own daughter. What would Prongs say, he thought, if he saw Remus now?

"Moony," James would say, hazel eyes playful from behind carelessly lopsided glasses, "You said you'd never settle down. And now you're a little mother hen, with a child to boot!"

Remus let a soft sigh escape his lips. How he longed for his childhood days of happy, joyful innocence now lost upon his now aging salf. Pitiful, he thought to himself bitterly. Complaining about what can never be fixed. How pathetic. Remus stared down at his mug of coffee, almost feeling like he wanted to drown himself in its brown surface.

"Daddy! Remmy! Look out!" Remus's shaggy head jerked up at Stella's shrill cry. A large, brown barn owl had swooped down from out of the neglected fireplace, feathers slightly ruffled and smudged with gray soot and ash, eyes full of disapproval as it landed on the arm of Remus's chair, a letter in its beak. Remus took the letter and fed the owl some strips of raw meat usually used to feed Lunaris during the winter, when Stella was too scared in the night to let Lunaris hunt. The owl's harsh yellow gaze seemed to soften slightly, and it nipped Remus's finger affectionately before spreading its wings and soaring up the chimney and out into the sky, Stella's nose pressed against the window to watch the majestic noble bird fly away.

Remus gazed down at the yellowed letter. He'd expected it to come sooner or later, it was already June, the Weasleys and Diggorys had all came home for the summer and Stella's eleventh birthday was nearing. But Stella was still ten, her birthday was in October, so he'd thought he'd still get another year with the little werecat. He glanced shrewdly down at the address, written in Minerva McGonagall's finest-

Ms. S. Black

The Living Room Couch

Full Moon Cottage

London*

So she still had the magic touch, he thought grinningly. Knew where every wizard in Great Britain lived and was at the present moment. Ah, memories. Calling Stella over to look, he showed her the purple wax seal of the Hogwarts coat of arms- a lion, eagle, badger, and snake surrounding the letter H, with their motto, _"Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus" _(or Never Tickle a Sleeping Dragon), scrolling at the bottom of the crest.

"What is it, Daddy?" asked Stella, wide-eyed, fingering the intricately stamped seal.

"Your Hogwarts letter," he replied coolly, inwarding preparing himself for her reaction. Big blue eyes stared up at him for several seconds before, with surprising speed, the girl tackled the former Marauder into a giant bearhug. Remus, with Lunaris's help, finally managed to pry the girl off.

"Hooray!" she sang happily. "I get to see Fred, I get to see George, I get to see Cedric! I get to see Fred, I get to see George, I get to see Cedric!" she chanted, marching about the room like she was a one-man parade. Rolling his eyes, Remus took out a letter opener and slit open the envelope. Pulling out the paper inside and unfurling it, a smaller piece of parchment fluttered out. Penned in Dumbledore's familiar loopy hand, Remus read:

__

_Remus,_

_Thank you for your care of Stella and Lunaris, I shall be eternally grateful to you. Molly tells me she's quite beautiful,_

_and from the looks of Messrs Weaseley, Weaseley, and Diggory, she seems to be quite clever,_

_if she's managed to please them so. I am writing to you to inform you of a slight loophole in_

_Miss Black's case. She is ten, but she shall turn eleven in October, yes? October 29, too, just two days_

_before Hogwart's hidden cutoff. I don't usually take advantage of this, ah, loophole, but in Stella's case, I'll be glad to make an exception._

_And I couldn't possibly let her miss out on the fun there's sure to be this year, do you not remember_

_who is joining our ranks of students? Harry Potter, of all children. Though I am afraid I cannot confine in you the reasons_

_of the child's importance in the near future, I hope you and Stella a safe trip to Diagon Alley, and I wish to see you soon._

_Cordially, _

_Albus Dumbledore_

**AN: Once, again, an unexpected update! Just typed this today, there'll hopefully be another part coming of the press soon, but please enjoy! I'd like to thank Lambsie, love-cdc, ..serious, LeaveItUnspoken, Alice, and Bri P. for their reviews, you're all welcome to submit more, I'll love you forever if you do! And I'll update! (Hint, hint, wink, wink, nudge, nudge). Thank you to avrilavril, Lambsie, LeaveItUnspoken, Slytherin Ice Princess13, and valkirevixen for favoriting,you guys are officially awesome! Thank you to Ashlyyy1234, Bri P., Lambsie, LeaveItUnspoken, love-cdc, and ..serious, you made my day! Review everyone, and see you soon!******

London*- LOL, I couldn't think of what else to put, I'm horrible at remembering places in Europe (really bad at geography, so don't yell if I mess up)

-The Last Gypsy Princess has logged off


	13. Chapter Eleven

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is © of J.K. Rowling, I do not own it in any way (but I wish I owned Remy, Sev, and Siri!)**

Chapter Eleven

"Where's Dwiagon Alley?" asked Stella curiously, her finger absentmindedly reaching up to wiggle a loose tooth in her already gap-toothed smile. Gently moving her hand away from her mouth, Remus withdrew from deep inside his robes's many folds a sparkling silver powder. Stella prodded the grey dust curiously before sticking her dusty finger in her mouth.

"Don't eat it!" Remus chided, "It's how we're getting to Diagon Alley!"

Stella stared blankly at him for several seconds. Finally she said, as if talking to a particularly stupid child, "Remmy, this is dust. I wuse a bwoom to fwy to places, not swome dirt."

Remus smiled. "This isn't dirt, Stella, this is Floo Powder."

"Flu Powdah?" Stella repeated, trying out the word. What an odd name. Flu Powdah. "Didn't flu make Ron sick?" she asked worriedly. "He went all weird and sneezy." She suddenly paled. "Remmy! We's not gonna get sick and sneeze to Dwiagon Alley, aren't we?"

Remus sighed patiently. "No, use Floo Powder to travel through the fireplace." Stella immediately brightened.

"Like that owl did? He just went zwoom, and flyed in!" she exclaimed bouncily, gesturing wildly.

Remus smiled wryly. "Not exactly. We're traveling through the flames of the fire." Stella stared wide-eyed before speaking in a hurried, panicky voice.

"But if we touch fire, we'll burn up like toast and die! And thwen Ceddy will have to bwury us in a graveyard," she concluded gravely. Remus simply gaped at her. Fred and George had definitely corrupted her. Finally he managed to get all his dignity back together

"Erm, Stella, dear, that's never going to happen." Stella seemed to droop, seeming eager at the prospect of having Cedric dig her grave. She certainly expressed her affections in a strange way. "We'll throw the powder in the fire, step in, and say 'Diagon Alley', and it will bring us there, okay?"

"Okay," Stella said, all traces of former disappointment lost as she grabbed a fistful of the powder, threw it into the fire, jumped in just as it turned emerald green and, giggling as the flames licked and tickled her robes, squeaked, "Dwiagon Awwey!" She disappeared before Remus could grab a fistful of her robes, and he was left staring at the empty fireplace. Oh great.

As he worried whether she'd reached the right grate, Lunar, shooting him a disapproving glance, took some of the powder delicately between his teeth and spat it into the fire, yowling in an eerily good imitation of the human voice, "Diagon Alley!" He disappeared as well, and Remus was left standing alone in his living room. Sighing and hoping they'd reached their correct destination, he too threw powder into the fire and stepped in, shouting 'Diagon Alley' and preparing himself for the odd sensation of a transportation to follow.

* * *

Remus coughed, ash staining the hems of his already shabby robes as he stepped out of the fireplace of Flourish and Blotts, Diagon Alley's bookstore. He looked frantically about for a sign that Lunar and Stella had arrived. Nothing. No giggles, no blue strands of hair, not even a dusty pawprint. Mentally trying to calm himself, Remus pulled out Stella's booklist and some Galleons from Albus's last visit (there was no way he was going to Gringotts, he barely owned a Knut, and he was sure to receive curious looks if her tried to use the Black family vault). Heading toward a display of brightly colored spellbooks, Remus began searching for his daughter's schoolbooks while he waited anxiously for Lunar and his daughter to arrive. As he stood on tip-toe in an effort to reach A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot, his sensitive ears picked up on boyish laughter. Abandoning the book, he swerved around to find Fred and George Weasley a few yards away, crowded around the fireplace, where Remus's amber eyes caught a glimpse of a furry tail. Lunar!

Sprinting over, ignoring the boys's startled looks as the adult suddenly joined them, he found Stella sprawled out awkwardly on the ground, face dark with ash, beside her a dignified Lunaris, fur barely ruffled and pelt spotless. Lucky cat. Stella opened her eyes blearily to find three males staring down at her, two barely stifling laughter, one looking relieved and happy. Struggling to dust off and get up, she was nudged to her feet by Lunaris, whom had dragged her from some creepy shop's dusty, grimy place to this giant bookstore.

"Are you alright?" Remus asked her anxiously, looking like Mother Hen Weasley as he fussed over her, Fred and George smirking at her over his shoulders, both pantomiming throwing up.

"I'm fine, Dwaddy, but Lunar dwagged me from this weirdo store with creepy eyeballs and dwead hands and stuff to this big bookstwore!" Stella replied irritably, struggling to pull free from Remus's fatherly hug. He drew back, eyes reflecting the Twins's shock as she mentioned the store.

"You went into Knockturn Alley?" gasped Remus. "You could've been killed!" Stella frowned.

"Thanks Daddy," she said huffily. "It's nwice to know you care so much about if I'm dead or alive!"

Fred and George cracked up at that, but Remus barely managed to keep his eyes from glazing over in shock. If this was how crazy eleven-year old girls acted, how would moody, emotional teenage girls act? Horrified at the thought, Remus quickly nudged Stella and Lunar to the check out counter to purchase their books, amid the Weaseley Twins's cackles.

* * *

"Where to next, Remmy?" Stella asked cheerfully, having just downed a bottle of Tom's finest firewhiskey at the Leaky Cauldron after ditching Remus and Lunar at the Apothecary when she saw all the feathers and eyes and pickled _somethings _and smelled it, a scent foul enough to rival bad eggs and rotten cabbage_. _They'd found her ten minutes later wandering about, eyes bloodshot and hiccuping.

_"Well,_" Remus began, drawing out the word. "You're bound to be a bit tipsy after all that whiskey, so maybe its time to go get some cat food and your cauldron and scales and things before you get a hangover or something." Stella yawned.

"Boring. Can me and Lunar go get my robes and look at the brooms instead?" Stella asked, doing her best puppy-dog look. She was hoping to get some pretty robes, maybe yellow, like Cedric's, or bright orange. Or lime green. Or blue with zigzags. As Stella pondered over what color to pick, Remus checked his watch before answering her.

"I suppose you could, it's getting pretty late anyway, so it'll be quicker if we split up, but only a quick look at the brooms, okay? You still have to get your wand," Remus said finally with an exasperated sigh. He was about to ruffle Stella's hair before leaving, but she was already gone. Shaking his head in exasperation and amusement, Remus walked away, off to but cat food and scales and cauldrons and more.

* * *

Madam Malkins was a pretty, squat little witch dressed in stylish mauve robes. She gave Stella a genuine little smile, the girl was a regular customer for eccentric robes, as the girl hopped onto the only free footstool beside a pretty blond boy being fitted.

"Hello," the boy said pleasantly as a shop assistant slipped a baggy black robe over Stella's little head. "I'm Draco Malfoy. Hogwarts, right?" Stella nodded. The boy smiled slightly. He was taller than her, with pale skin, blond hair, and a pointed face, as well as steely gray eyes. Suddenly the smile seemed to curl into a disgusted sneer. "You aren't a Mudblood, right?"

Stella beamed obliviously at him. "I don't think I bleed brown, if that's what you mean. I'm a pureblood. My name's Stella Lupin!"

Draco's gray eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Lupin's not any wizarding surname I've heard of," he remarked after some time. Stella smiled.

"My daddy says I'm adopted. I don't know what that means, but he says I have another mommy and daddy who were both great wizards."

"Slytherin, huh?" the boy asked proudly.

She grinned, if not a bit sheepishly. "My daddys are Gryffindors actually. But my Auntie and my mum were both Slytherins." The boy, who'd looked slightly put off, seemed to brighten slightly at her last remark.

"That's okay then," he said, before glancing at her eagerly. "And you? What House do you want to be in?" Stella shrugged.

"They all seem cool," she said earnestly. "I can't decide!" Draco sniffed pompously.

"Well I can," he said decidedly. "Slytherin is obviously the best, who wants to be some duffer Hufflepuff, or a brave idiot, or a bookworm?" he asked scathingly. Stella's usual smile faltered, and seemed to turn slightly icy as she shot him a glare.

"Excuse me," she said coldly, all traces of her childish lisp gone in her anger, "My best friend is a Hufflepuff, and he's wonderful." Draco faltered, his usually smug look gone at her glare. She beamed in satisfaction that she'd managed to make a wanna-be Slytherin scared when suddenly Draco gave a loud yelp.

"Ick! Get this filthy vermin offa me!" he yowled, a bright green frog having suddenly appeared on his shoulder. His eyes were wide with fear, and the shop assistants drew back with disgust. "Help me, Lupin!" he begged, clutching to her shoulder.

"He's so cute!" cooed Stella. "Is he your frog? What's his name? Can I keep him?"

Draco stared open-mouthed at her. Wow. Was this girl really eleven? She acted like a five year old. "Er, his name is, uh," he began, searching desperately for a suitable name as he tried hopelessly to shake the frog off. "Froggie?" he finished weakly. He winced inwardly. Really? What type of idiotic name was that? She'd never buy it. Stella stared at him for a few minutes before breaking into a smile.

"Wow, what a great name!" she gushed, cupping the frog in her hands before bidding goodbye to Draco, her arms full of her new robes (which were, unfortunately, boring, basic black). And with a cheesy salute, she exited the shop, Lunar at her heels, leaving the rest of the shop staring after her and purely dumbfounded.

**AN: Finished! Finally. Review everyone, and I'll throw in the second part of Stella's trip to Diagon Alley and Stella's first meeting with Harry Potter if I have ten more reviews by Thanksgiving. So review! By the way, Froggie was a character suggested by my brother. He's there for purely comic amusement and will appear again several times throughout the series, so look out. Earthlover, you are awesome! So this chapter is for you!**

**-The Last Gypsy Princess has logged off**


	14. Chapter Twelve

****

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is © of J.K. Rowling, I do not own it in any way (but I wish I owned Remy, Sev, and Siri!)

Chapter Twelve

"La, la, la, la, ladiladila!" sang Stella chirpily as she skipped throughout the store, occasionally stopping to pause and gape at a particularly cool object displayed in a shop window. She was supposed to meet Remus now, but Stella wanted to take a good look around the Alley. Strolling down the paved cobblestone streets, Stella glanced at voodoo dolls, protective charms, silver cauldrons, owl cages, and even basilisk venom as she wound her way through the various arrays of peddlers's carts and booths.

The tiny pixielike girl with blue hair, a frog, and a weird cat drew many curious looks from passengerby, and even more irritated looks when she began singing "This is The Song That Never Ends", "The Duck Song", and "I Know A Song That Gets On Everybody's Nerves". Yes, perhaps it had been a bad idea for Arthur to introduce Muggle Youtube to the girl. She was addicted to their music, even more than she was to the Weird Sisters.

"Oh! Look, Froggie! A new broom!" Stella shouted, drawing several more amused yet annoyed looks as she shoved several shoppers out of the way to press her nose against the glass and admire the dark, sleek Nimbus 2000, the lastest, fastest racing broom, newly released, she was told by an excitable squeaky-voiced child called Colin Creevey, whom would be starting Hogwarts next year and who seemed to be particularly fond of his Muggle camera. He hopped about like a little rabbit, clicking madly, the camera flashing every few seconds.

"Isn't magic great?" he asked happily, waving several developed, moving photos in the air. "My friend told me how to make this potion to make pictures move!"

Stella beamed and began chatting about him excitedly about the Wizarding World, soon forgetting all about meeting Remus, Fred and George soon joining, in their hands tricks and jokes from the local joke shop. As Stella licked the Blood Pop happily, she suddenly noticed an angry-looking figure stomp over, face furious. Oops. Stella ducked her head as Remus Lupin made his way over, amber eyes unusually dark. Fred and George, blue eyes fearful, suddenly slipped away as they noticed the unusually-serious looking werewolf walk even closer. Stella gulped as she was suddenly lifted by the collar of her robes and carried by her scruff to a less busy stop on the street, just outside a dimly lit, seedy-looking bar.

"Where were you?" Remus hissed in anger. "I was waiting for an hour, I was worried sick! I nearly called the Aurors over, I'd thought you'd been kidnapped! How are I supposed to leave you by yourself if you can't even remember the time?"

Stella bowed her tiny head in shame. "I'm sorry, Remmy," she replied sadly, blue eyes cast on the ground. Remus's eyes softened. She acted so much like Sapphire, even when she was sad. He could see the woman as if she was standing right in front of him, her sparkling eyes shining even as she crept through the hallway, seemingly alone, to meet an old friend, Severus Snape, in secret. Her friend Lily and the Marauders had never approved of her secret meetings with the lonesome Potions genius, the red-headed beauty had ordered Sirius and Remus to follow her under their Invisibility Cloak every night. That night had been the night of one of their most heated fights, Severus had ended up kissing Sapphire and Sirius, fuming mad, had immediately leaped out from the cloak and cursed him. Sapphire, shocked, had accused him of following her, but Sirius, not wanting to get in trouble with the one girl who constantly rejected him, had thrown Remus under the bus, only to realize too late that Sapphire now was going to kill both of them. However, Remus had managed to convince the then-sixteen year old that Snape was a known member of the rising Death Eaters and that it hadn't been safe to meet with him, and that she could have been killed. She'd become immediately meek and from then on followed her friends' orders submissively, never questioning again until she began to look skinny and underfed. Sirius discovered she'd been starving herself, and apologized for their over-protective nature, and the two found a close companionship in each other that night, finally ending in a kiss in which a shocked, invisible Remus had been unfortunate enough to witness. He smiled sadly. If only he'd followed James's advice and got the courage to ask Sapphire out before Sirius Black, the womanizing, reckless, badboy criminal mass murderer had won her heart. If only...

"Daddy?" Remus blinked, only to find those blue eyes haunting him in his dreams for the last few years staring up at him in concern. Shaking his head to clear it, he glanced at Stella.

"Sorry, darling. Come on, let's go get your wand." And, taking her hand, Remus led the dark haired child down the paved cobblestone toward Ollivanders, where the two, father and daughter, would have an encounter with a strange, silver-eyed man that would haunt them for the rest of their lives.

* * *

Ollivanders was the last shop on the street. Narrow, small, and shabby, it was the sort of place Stella would have skipped over in favor of the candy shop a few stores away without a glance. Beautiful, peeling golden letters on the door read :Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands Since 382 BC, and a single, dusty hazel wand lay on display in the misted window.

As Remus pushed open the door, the faint tinkle of a bell sounded, and they were immediately engulfed in dim candlelight and gloom of the tiny shop. Towering shelves all around held nothing but thousands of long, narrow boxes, each different in shape, size, and color. Stella shivered. It felt as if the very air and dust she breathed in was full of electrifyingly brilliant magic.

"Good afternoon, child," murmured a soft voice, and Stella nearly toppled over in shock. She turned quickly to find a man standing before them, pale, silvery eyes gleaming in the dim light like the full moon. Remus instinctively took a step back. Mr. Ollivander had always made him nervous. This tiny movement, however, caused the thin wandmaker's pale eyes to dart over to him and widen. "Ah! Remus Lupin, eh? I remember you, my dear boy! Oak, twelve inches, good for Defense, wasn't it?" Olllivander asked eagerly, bounding over with suprising agility for such an old man and shaking a startled werewolf's hand enthusiastically. "What brings you here so soon, Mr. Lupin? A wand for your daughter, ah," Ollivander suddenly stared, very still, at Stella. She twitched nervously under his scrutiny. "You," he murmured. "You look exactly like Sapphire Lunaris did when she bought her wand. Nine inches, willow, slender and good for charms, I remember. But your hair," he continued, moving closer to the girl to look at her even more closely. "You must be Sirius Black's daughter," he said, softly, gently, with not a hint of accusation or anger in his voice, only awe and respect.

"You wouldn't tell, would you?" Remus asked quickly. "I mean, Albus Dumbledore, he says-" He was cut off by Ollivander, who smiled.

"Don't worry, Mr. Lupin, I know enough by now to know that whatever Albus Dumbledore has to say is completely confidential. I just think it's quite fascinating that I've met two children of such similar circumstances today."

"Two?" voiced Remus cautiously. Ollivander smiled again, the faint curve of his thin lips sending a chill up Stella's back.

"Why yes, Mr. Lupin," he replied. "I met Harry Potter."

Remus's mouth fell open in surprise, but Mr. Ollivander ignored him as he turned to Stella excitedly and began to measure her. He was so gentle and caring in his work that Stella found the courage to look up at him, only to gape at the fact that the measuring tape was doing its job on its own and that Ollivander had long gone in a trip to search for a wand. Finally he came back, holding a box and smiling as though he'd won the lottery.

" Your wand arm, Miss Black?" he asked politely. Stella held out her left arm, feeling slightly embarrassed. Ollivander smiled. "Ah, finally, a child without a right wand arm. I was beginning to think I was the only left-wanded wizard around." With a slight chuckle, Ollivander snapped his fingers and let the measuring tape crumple to the floor. "I'm sure you'll like this wand, Mr. Lupin. Made from the same unicorn hair as Ms. Lunaris. Nine inches, flexible, and made of the finest willow. Give it a try, eh?" he asked. Stella waved the wand, only to flinch as a window exploded. Oops. Ollivander seemed delighted, however. Snatching the wand back, he presented her with another.

"Oak, eight and a quarter inches, with a core of phoenix feather." Five wand boxes fell off the shelf. Muttering something about the stars and moon, Mr. Ollivander flourished another wand proudly.

"How about this one, eh? Ten inches, ash, with a core of dragon's heartstrings." A candle nearly scorched Remus. Nabbing the wand and grinning foolishly, Ollivander flitted back through the shelves. After awhile, he returned, covered from head to toe in dust and holding in his hands a dusty grey box.

"Odd, very odd," he murmured to himself, peering inside the box through sharp eyes. "But why not? Miss Black, perhaps this'll suit you?" After going through nearly twenty wands by now, Stella accepted the wand wearily, only to find a burst of warming energy shoot up her arm. As she gave the wand an experimental flick, the broken window repaired instantly. Ollivander was bouncing, eyes sparkling with delight as he clapped. "Bravo, child, bravo! Not many customers display such a fine taste as you, my dear. And such an incredible display, but, after all, it suits your wand, I daresay." He seemed to be mumbling to himself again, but Remus couldn't help but question him.

"What exactly do you mean, sir?" he asked. Ollivander beamed at him.

"Ah, I congratulate you in seeing such a miracle occur. No one's ever tried that wand out, its been here since the beginning of this shop, in fact. It's actually rather plain, really, hazel and birch, seven and a quarter inches, good for Defense as well. But its core is what's really extraordinary. It's made of a substance we Ollivanders have made a wand out of only once, it's a very picky core, you see. Very tricky to get the right match, but for some strange reason, it chose little Miss Black here right away." Ollivander mused.

"But what's the core?" Remus persisted. Ollivander smiled.

"Didn't I already say?" Remus shook his head. "No? I suppose I can tell you then." Ollivander leaned closer. "It's made of Kneazle hair."

Remus's face regained some color, though he looked suspiciously nervous. "Would you like to explain how such an odd wand became instantly attached to little Miss Stella here?" Ollivander asked. Remus did not reply. Ollivander smiled sadly. "I understand. Some things are better left alone, though I wish you the best of luck, my dear Miss Black," he said, and with a firm shake of her hand, and without asking for any payment, he slipped into the shadows and disappeared. As Remus and Stella left, he drew closer to the door once more and smiled.

"You'll need all the luck you can, my dear Miss Black, if you are to face what is to come, little werechild." Ollivander whispered, remembering the odd ice blue eyes and silvery gray fur of the strange ghost-cat accompanying Stella Black.

****

AN: Creepy, huh? To SweetieCherrie, I fixed up most of Stella's sentences, thank you for the review, I'll think about your suggestion.

**-The Last Gypsy Princess has logged off**


	15. Chapter Thirteen

****

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is © of J.K. Rowling, I do not own it in any way (but I wish I owned Remy, Sev, and Siri!)

Chapter Thirteen

The trip to Platform Nine and Three Quarters at Kings Cross Station was rather uneventful, if you don't count the fact that Stella nearly Flooed to Knockturn Alley again and that she tripped over a nonexistent rock and nearly got ran over by a runaway trolley being chased after by a plump freckled boy with a toad of his shoulder and a scowling old woman with a stuffed-raven hat on her head when she fell head-first in through the barrier. "Sorry!" the boy, named Neville Longbottom, sniffled before gasping as his toad hopped off his shoulder and out of sight in the bustling crowd of fussing, teary-eyed parents.

"Don't worry!" Stella called to him before adding helpfully, "Hope you find your toad!" as she was guided over by Remus to a less crowded part of the platform by a drink fountain, where he then proceeded to fuss over Stella in his usual over-protective fatherly way, despite the fact that he was tired from the last full moon and sick from the worry that Stella would get expelled from the school on her first day for doing something stupid. So he covered up his inside conflict and instead focused his energy on lecturing her on what to do and what not to do at Hogwarts.

"You be careful, alright, and don't go poking your nose in the Forbiddden Forest- alone," Remus added quickly, seeing the expression on his daughter's face as he straightened her collar and smoothed her pleated lime skirt with the bunny rabbit print. Yeah. She'd somehow managed to sneak the skirt and matching jumper from Madam Malkins, along with a pair of purple polka-dotted robes (not to mention a certain little frog everyone knows and loves) without him noticing. "And don't get on Snape's nerves, he'll be nasty enough to you already, and if you must talk to the Giant Squid in the middle of the night, for Merlin's sakes put on a jacket and don't forget to kick Mrs. Norris for me, okay Stella?" Remus asked. Stella grinned toothily.

"Yes Daddy," she replied obediently, if but a bit wickedly as she adjusted her tiny grip around her pink suitcase, which she had charmed to resemble the Muggle Japanese cartoon phenomenon Hello Kitty. She was wearing her bunny clothes today, along with a bunny ear headband and for some strange reason a frog on her head. Lunaris took his customary place at her side, examining the bustling Platform Nine and Three Quarters with a sort of detached yet aloof look about him that only he could pull off. Remus was about to open his mouth and continue when suddenly a voice called out to them.

"Hey! Stella!" Remus and Stella turned to find a certain handsome brunette Hufflepuff running toward them. Dressed in brilliant highlighter yellow robes already, he attracted quite a few stares for the first-year Muggleborns, though Stella had a creeping suspicion that even in casual clothes those girls giggling nearby would still have been gaping at him."Haven't seen you in a while, have I, kiddo?" Cedric Diggory asked, affectionately ruffling his friend's dark locks and accepting her hug. He don't notice when Stella stuck her tongue out at Cho and those idiot gossips over his shoulder, but Remus did and had to duck his head to suppress a snort. "Good morning, Mr. Lupin," he added grinningly as he finally got Stella off him.

"Hello, Cedric," replied Remus warmly. "Where's your father?" Cedric shrugged, though his hazel eyes twinkled with mischief.

"Not sure, but I think that waking up at five in the morning and ditching your sleeping parents to ride here on my new Comet Three-Sixty to see my favorite little lipstick-warrior might render them a few minutes late, don't you?" he asked, smiling like he'd won a prize.

"Wow! You really rode all that way on a broom?" Stella asked in wonder. Cedric nodded proudly. Remus checked his watch before coughing.

"Eh, I have to leave now, Ted invited me to visit his Muggle weather TV station **(LOL, look for his name on SS page six)**and I'd really like to see how he manages it, I always slip around Muggles. D'you think you could take Stella here to the train safely, Ced?" he asked, straightening his coat.

"No problem, Mr. Lupin. Just leave it to me," Cedric replied impressively, puffing out his chest and smoothing his hair. Stella beamed down at Remus from where she'd somehow managed to clamber up to Cedric's broad shoulders, where she perched now, piggy-back style.

"Well, I'll see you for Christmas, okay?" Remus said, planting a light kiss on Stella's forehead before, with an equally impressive mock bow, he turned three times and Apparated, leaving Cedric scowling and Stella clapping.

"Show off," he muttered, before glancing at Stella reproachfully. "Why didn't I get any clapping?"

* * *

"Hi, Cho!" Cedric called cheerfully. The Asian girl turned to smile and wave at him, only to find Stella looking down at her murderously from her crush's shoulders.

"Um, hi Cedric," Cho replied hesitantly, giving a small wave. Stella bared sharp little teeth at her as Cho neared, and the dark-haired Ravenclaw instinctively drew back.

"D'you wanna join me and Stella? We're going to find an empty compartment near the end of the train. Wanna come?" Stella shot icy daggers at Cho with her eyes and was about to flip her the finger, but Cho was already backing away in submission.

"Er, no, Cedric, it's fine, I was going to share a compartment with Marietta and Roger. You remember him, right?" Cedric's blushing smile seemed to falter.

"Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain, right?" Cho nodded timidly, and uttering a quick squeak of farewell, she dashed off, leaving Cedric confused and slightly envious, and Stella pleased.

"I call the window seat!" Stella squeaked happily, hopping down from Cedric's shoulders to topple into the correct seat. A much calmer Lunaris seated himself neatly beside her, and Froggy seemed to have mysteriously vanished again, as he had in the wand shop. After Cedric had neatly stored their luggage on the overhanging storage rack above, he plopped down across from her. They sat in companionable silence until Stella let out a squeal.

"The train is moving!" she exclaimed in wonder. Stella pressed her nose against the frosty window pane, blue eyes squinted as she struggled to see. From across from her, Cedric chuckled as he ran his fingers through a bored Lunaris's fur.

"Are you really that excited already? It'll be at least two hours till we get there, you know," he informed her in his new, smart-aleck way. She scowled at him, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Just because you're twirteen doesn't mwean you bwetter than me," she said haughtily, the slight lisp of her childhood coming back in her voice slightly. The Hufflepuff couldn't help but smile. Even at eleven she acted like a seven year old.

"It kind of does," he teased gently. Huffing in annoyance, Stella prodded him with her wand until he let Lunaris go and, with a slightly injured sniff, dragged her bag to the door, looking back only once to pointlessly announce, "I'm weaving!" Cedric watched in silent amusement as she struggled to undo the latch, then nearly tripped over the carpet on her way out. Little klutz, he thought fondly as the girl walked proudly away, nose high, occasionally tripping on her robes. He could see her stop and converse with the red-headed Gryffindors, Fred and George, both who he knew disliked Cedric's closeness with the lovable little thing. He saw their wicked sneers as they eyed him icily and marched Stella back past his compartment, conversing loudly to the other twin about the 'idiots who got into that waste-of-space, Hufflepuff'. He actually wasn't too offended, a first-year had called him worse that morning.

* * *

"Bye Fred, George," Stella squeaked happily as she waved the two twins off. They'd been so nice to her, carrying her all the way past Evil Ced the Meanie-Head. They waggled their fingers at her and blew her kisses teasingly before being ushered into a nearby compartment by a dark-skinned boy with black dreadlocks and a playful smirk.

As Stella plodded along, her wand stuffed back in her too-long robes, her cat by her side and her trunk left probably-not-so-safely with Fred and George, she noticed a faint scent in the air. Stella sniffed. Her expression instantly softened, her eyes soft, mouth drooling and wide open. Candy... Mmm... Stella shuffled through her pockets to find a slightly-dented golden coin crammed in the abysses of her robes, a lone survivor of many she'd probably lost already. She held the coin up to the light. Galleon, the fancy script inscription read. This ought to buy a bit of sweets. Dashing up to the cart where the heavenly scent was, Stella was greeted with a stack of many different candies, much of varieties she'd never seen before. Handing the plump witch selling candy her money, Stella plunged her expert fingers in different candies and weighed them in her palms, finally deciding on a box of Bertie Botts' Every Flavor Jelly Beans and a Blood Pop. Remus had always joked about how disturbed his daughter must be, to eat such odd things without batting an eyelash. Sucking on the suspiciously crimson lollipop, Stella walked off, only to bump into someone. She looked up to find a slightly-familiar, pointed pale face looking down at her in slight amusement.

"Hello," he said pleasantly. "I see we meet again, eh?"

"You!" Stella said, pointing at him, ignoring how Remus had often told her how rude it was to point at people. "You're that boy from Madam Malkins."

"Indeed I am," said he, brushing back a lock of silky platinum blond hair. "Say, you want to come with me and my friends?" Stella eyed the two thuggish, stout boys on either side of him. They looked rather dim, as did the pug-faced girl following, but the handsome, fair-skinned Italian boy behind seemed at least interested in the small dark-haired girl they'd ran into, as did the golden-eyed ravenette by his side.

"Where are wou going?" she asked, unaware of how funny the Italian thought her childish voice was. He hid a smirk at her face, she looked like a mere child, perhaps only seven or eight with those big eyes of hers.

"To meet Harry Potter," the Italian replied smoothly, dark brown eyes peering at her amusedly from behind his black fringe. "I'm Blaise, by the way," he suddenly added as she took on a confused pout. He stuck out a hand.

"Stella Lupin, at your service!" she replied, giving a clumsy curtsy and nearly toppling over. A strong grip pulled on her scruff and straightened her.

"Careful, kid, don't wanna get hurt on your first day, do you?" asked her savior, the catty golden-eyed girl, slyly. She wore silken dark robes, but it was easy to spot that she was a rebel, golden hoops dangled from her ears and around her neck she hung an overlarge pair of lime-green Muggle headphones, in her slender hand the latest Wizarding iWand, the one music player of the 1990s Wizarding World.

"Thank you," Stella stuttered, taking a few steps back. The girl was a bit overwhelming.

"So what? You wanna come or not?" the girl asked, eyes glinting as she took a step forward to block Stella's escape.

"S-s-sure," stammered Stella. The girl's eyes brightened immediately.

"Good! I was beginning to think you were a coward, but you seem cute! C'mon, Blaise!" the girl replied perkily, taking Blaise's hand and skipping away towards the front. Avoiding the creepy pug-faced girl and swerving past the trollish kids, Stella walked alongside Draco.

"Is she always that odd?" she asked privately. Draco's mouth twitched in the ghost of a smile.

"Sometimes she's much, much worse," he assured her.

* * *

"Well, here we are!" the golden-eyed girl announced cheerily, sending the little group of wanna-be Slytherins and Stella to a halt. She had stopped in front of a compartment door. Draco looked at her skeptically.

"Are you sure? Last time you made me walk in two girls changing. This isn't one of your pranks, right?" The girl didn't respond. Draco sighed. "Go check if the coast is clear, Stella," he said, pushing the girl to the front. She stood on her tiptoes and peered inside, her hand clasped on the doorknob to remain balanced. Suddenly she lost control, her hand sliding and resulting in her toppling headfirst in. Ouch. As she rubbed her scraped arm tenderly, she looked up to find emerald green eyes staring in concern at her.

"Are you alright?" a voice, probably belonging to the owner of those brilliant pretty green eyes, asked. Stella couldn't speak for a few moments. Finally she pointed and shrieked, "Omigosh, there's some creepy weirdo with four pretty green eyes staring at me! Ahh! Draco, save me from the creeper! Ahh!"

****

AN: I have nothing to say. Really. Please offer your honest opinions on Stella's reaction. Until next time,

-The Last Gypsy Princess has logged off


	16. Chapter Fourteen

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is © of J.K. Rowling, I do not own it in any way (but I wish I owned Remy, Sev, and Siri!)**

Chapter Fourteen

There was dead silence in the compartment for a minute, only to be broken by a loud groan. "Ugh. Stella, you're being embarrassing_ again_!" the voice complained. Stella turned toward the direction of the voice only to find the familiar blue eyes of Ronald Bilius Weaseley staring down at her with a mixture of annoyance and exasperation in their depths.

Without hesitation, despite Ron's desperate attempt to shield himself for her, she shot up, nearly breaking the green-eyed boy's nose and, with inhuman speed, latched herself to Ron's shoulders, which she shook furiously, screeching, "Omigosh! I'm gonna die! Save me! Ahh! I'm too young to die! Ahh! Ron, help me!" By now Draco was trying to unsuccessfully hide his huge grin, and Blaise and the golden-eyed girl (who by the way was named Vulpecula Lestrange, but preferred the name Fox) were shaking with silent laughter. Ron was turning rapidly scarlet by the second as Stella screamed her head off.

"Geroff me, Stella, you're making a scene," he muttered, and with an ungrateful shove, he sent Stella toppling back into the arms of Draco, who looked down at her with slightly more respect if not amusement in his formerly cold grey gaze.

"Nice one," gasped Fox through her gales of laughter as she leaned against Blaise in support, "But next time try screaming a little louder, I don't think the kids at Salem heard you clearly." Stella blushed, and buried herself in the front of Draco's expensive black robes in an attempt to save her remaining dignity.

"But he was scaaaaaaary," she complained. Draco snorted disbelievingly, and Ron rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose to fight off an upcoming headache.

"He was wearing glaaaaaases," Draco replied in an impressive imitation of her voice. Stella grew even more crimson as she realized her blunder, and she buried her face even deeper in the silken cloth until she felt the blush begin to reside. When she was thought she was ready to apologize, she turned around, making sure to keep her gaze on the ground, and muttered, "I'm sorry I called you a four-eyed creeper, and that I nearly broke your nose, and that I made a scene, Mr. I-Have-No-Idea-Who-In-The-Name-Of-Merlin's-Beard-Is Harry Potter." She thought he was too offended to respond, and just as she was about to burst into tears because she'd got into trouble on her first day like Remy had told her not to when she felt a soft hand ruffling her hair.

"Don't worry, I've been called worse," the voice murmured, and Stella, feeling a huge grin spread over her face, instantly attached herself to his arm and tackled the poor boy in an enormous hug.

"Harry Potter is so nice, Draco!" she sobbed in relief. "I thought he was gonna tell Remy, and Remy was gonna kill me, and then Ronnie was gonna laugh, and then Fred and George were gonna throw bombs on my pretty grave that Cedric buried me in, and then Remy da Devil was gonna throw me in You-Know-Where, and then I was gonna burst into flames, and then I was gonna turn into a phoenix, and then I was gonna end up in Dumbly-dore's office, and then I was gonna get expelled from Hogwarts because I was a weird flaming bird, and then I was gonna fly to Romania to visit Charlie, and then a dragon would eat me, and then I'd burst into flames again, and-" Suddenly Stella was cut off as a hand was pressed against her mouth.

"Will you just _shut up_?" Ron hissed in annoyance as he tried to unsuccessfully pry her off of Harry. By now Draco had issued his famous speech of, "And my name's Draco, Draco Malfoy," and all the rest of that garbage that the author of this story was too lazy to type out and instead made an excuse that Stella had been screaming the whole time so that she didn't notice when her Slytherin buddies finally left, leaving Stella, Ron, and Harry Potter all alone in the compartment with only a sleeping rat and a very irritable Lunar for company.

"No way, Ronnie! I was trying to be all grateful and nice and thankful so that Remy the Devil won't kill me and throw me in- **(I'm sorry, the following words have been considered to be inappropriate and mentally scarring for children, so instead please enjoy these approved, safe, child-friendly words- bunny rabbit, chocolate, ice cream, sugar) **for the rest of my life! I wanna see eighteen, you know! ("And I'm sure you will, with that attitude of yours and all those psycho mass murderers out there," Ron muttered) Don't act like you're older me, 'cause you're not ("Actually I am,") and I'm better than you anyway!" Stella finished with a loud, "Hmmph!". Ron rolled his eyes.

"Will you shut up if I give you all of Harry's chocolate?" Ron asked oh-so generously. Stella drooled, making Harry recoil slightly with disgust. Ron, however, took advantage of this momentary weakness in the girl and shoved a Chocolate Cauldron in her mouth and, with Lunar's help, dragged the girl to another seat. Stella slurped obliviously on the candy for a moment, and was about to open her mouth to speak again when she realized she couldn't talk. She tried to scream, but nothing came out. Glaring mutinously at Ron, she directed a rude hand gesture at him, one that if it had been seen by Mrs. Weasley would have surely resulted in a sound scolding and no dinner. He, however, merely nodded in respect and turned to Harry while she fumed in the corner, cursing mentally and uttering a silent tantrum.

"Sorry, mate. I never knew she was gonna react like that. You okay?" Ron asked his new-found friend in concern. Harry rubbed his shoulder and winced.

"Fine, I think. But how did you get her to shut up? She seems to talk even more then that Hermione girl."

Ron rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Actually, she's good friends with Fred and George, they sold me a bottle of Dr. Silens Muting Potion half-off when she tried to tattle on them for charming her hair blue, they blamed it on me afterward." Harry couldn't suppress a grin.

"So she's always like that?" he asked curiously.

"Pretty much," shrugged Ron. "Except around Cedric, I think she's got a crush on him or something, she always tackles him, but she never screams. It's actually kind of funny, we had to use Dad's crowbar last time to pry her off, it was like she used Spellotape or something."

They sat in companionable silence like this for awhile, until the compartment door slid back open again and Dictionary-Queen Hermione Granger came back in.

"What happened?" she asked in concern, her beady brown eyes taking in the scattered sweets, sleeping rat on the floor, and the boys, Ron who had scratches on his cheek from Stella and Harry, whose glasses were lopsided, again, due to Stella. "You've been fighting again, haven't you?" she accused. Ron was about to retort snappily when her eyes fell on a silently screaming Stella. "Oh, you poor dear, they didn't mute you, did they?" she asked. Stella nodded tearily. "How childish," scowled Hermione. Waving hr wand, she muttered, "Finite Incantem," and, with a dash of silver sparks, Stella could talk.

"Thank you," she muttered hoarsely. "Can I come with you? They're being mean to me," she sniffled, pointing accusingly to Ron. Hermione's eyes softened, and she took the girl's hand.

"Of course. Come on, bring your bags, you need to change, the train's arriving soon." With that, the two girls walked out, Hermione calling over her shoulder, "You boys better change too, we're nearly there!" And though Harry though that Stella had been mad at them for real, he thought he caught her wink secretively at him before the compartment door slid shut again, leaving the boys alone.

"I think I liked Stella better mute," Ron muttered finally, and with that, he tugged his shirt off his head and began to change, Harry following his lead wordlessly.

* * *

"This way," Hermione said, leading a now-neon-robed Stella off the train. She cast a long look at Stella's robes. "It's a shame you mixed up the colors, you'd look really pretty in black as well."

_Yeah right, _Stella thought privately, but she pasted a smile on her face and nodded cutely. Hermione's face broke into a smile.

"You're so cute!" she giggled, but suddenly a big, hairy face bobbed out of the sea of heads, calling, "Firs' years~ Firs' years over here! C'mon, y'all, follow me!" Tightening her grip, Hermione skillfully led Stella through the crowd, down a long, winding narrow path to what seemed to be a never-ending expanse of black lakewater. There was loud unison of "Wow!" and "Oooh!", and as Hermione nudged Stella, she too couldn't stifle a gasp. Up on the mountain perched a great, towering old castle, with many turrets and flags, its windows sparkling like the stars in the midnight sky.

"No more'n four to a boat!" ordered Hagrid, gesturing toward a fleet of tiny little boats bobbing by the shore of the Black Lake. Hermione uttered an excited goodbye to Stella and hurried into a boat, followed quickly by Neville, Ron, and Harry. Stella noticed Fox, Blaise and Draco clambering at her right, and she joined them hurriedly. Blaise smirked, only to gasp as the boats suddenly began moving with a little jolt and the call of "FORWARD!" from Hagrid. Everyone was silent, the only noise was the caw of noisy crows and sound as Stella waved to the Giant Squid, who raised a tentacle in salute. When they reached shore, they all clambered along a narrow, dim underground harbor of sorts along the sand and pebbles. Following Hagrid's lamp, they tramped up a passageway and climbed up the great stone stairs to where they stood around the huge oaken doors.

"Everyone here? No one lost any limbs? Good." With that, Hagrid raised a giant fist and knocked three times on the castle door.

* * *

The doors swung open at once with a giant creak. A tall black-haired witch dressed in emerald green stood there, face stern and eyes sharp from behind square spectacles.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," rumbled Hagrid, executing a sort of odd half-bow respectfully. She nodded to him.

"Thank you, Rubeus. I can take them for here," she said. She led them into the entrance hall, which was so big Stella was sure she could order three million elephants and still have room for a whole circus. The passageway was lit with only flaming torches, and a magnificent marble and ebony staircase led them to the upper floors. Stella slipped away to where she found Hermione, Ron and even Harry. The Professor didn't seem to notice as she guided them across the floor and into a small, empty chamber.

Even from here, Stella could still here the chatter of a hundred voices in unison inside a doorway on the right. The rest of the school must've already gathered. They crowded in, eyes peering nervously around as they took in their surroundings.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall began finally, her voice carrying throughout the crowd. "The start-of-term feast will start shortly, but before we can begin, each of you will be sorted in the correct Houses. Your Sorting is a very important ceremony, because while you board here, your House will become something like your family within Hogwarts. You will experience classes with other first-years in your House, sleep in your House dormitories, and spend free time frolicking about like all children do in your House common room."

"The four Houses are called Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. Each has a long and noble history, and each has produced amazing witches and wizards. During your stay here at Hogwarts, your victories shall earn you House Points, and your failures will lose House Points. At the end of the Year, the House with the most Points will be awarded the House Cup, a great honor. I hope each and every one of you will become a valuable asset to whichever House you become a part of."

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes, in front of the whole school. I suggest you all smarten up as much as you can while you're waiting."

McGonagall's sharp green eyes lingered on Neville's cloak, which was fastened wrong, on Ron's nose, which was smudged, and finally on Stella, who was beaming proudly in neon yellow robes.

"I shall return for you in a few minutes when we are ready," she ended finally, and with that she disappeared. Immediately, the first years brought in nervous chatter, while Hermione fussed over Stella's robes.

"I'm sorry I haven't got the spell to change their color, but at least your hair looks nice," she said, unaware that Stella was inwardly rejoicing. Fred and George were going to be so proud when they saw her! She was interrupted from her thoughts when something happened that made a few first-year girls scream. Everywhere, people gasped in shock. About twenty ghosts had just wandered in, floating through the solid stone wall. They seemed to be in the middle of a huge argument. A fat little pearly-white monk was talking, saying, "Forgive and forget, as they say. We ought to give him a second chance-"

"My dear Friar, haven't we all already given Peeves hundreds of chances by now? He gives us all a bad reputation, and you know he's not even a true ghost- I do say, who're you all?"

A ghost clad in a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the gaping first-years.

Nobody answered, they were in shock. Suddenly Stella shouted, "Omigosh! My first real ghosties! Wow! You look so real! Did you all have to wear a lot of makeup and use invisible broomsticks to float like that?"

That Fat Friar stared at her. Then he decided to ignore her and instead said, "New students, I suppose! All about to be Sorted, eh?"

Several nodded, while Stella sulked, unhappy that she'd been snubbed so publicly. Hermione patted her shoulder. "Hope to see you in Hufflepuff! My old house, you know!" the Friar called before floating away.

"Move along, children. That's it, form a nice straight line, the Sorting's about to begin." McGonagall had returned. As Stella passed her, she gave a disapproving cluck, but did not protest the girl's flamboyant uniform. The first years filed in, taking in the Great Hall with awe. Lit entirely by thousands of tiny flickering candles floating in midair, students sat everywhere around for long, magnificent wooden tables laid with golden goblets and plates. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers sat, Dumbledore in the center, blue eyes twinkling as he noticed Stella's odd dress. Everywhere, pale faces and glittering eyes turned to stare at them. Floating about were the silvery, cloudy shapes off ghosts and specters, and above stretched a velvety black ceiling dotted with milky stars.

"It's bewitched to look like the sky outside, I read about it in Hogwarts, a History," murmured Hermione from behind Stella. Stella nodded, her gaze riveted on the table hung with black and yellow banners, where the familiar beaming face of Cedric was, grinning mischievously at her. Professor McGonagall silently swept over to an empty spot in front of the first years, where she placed a dirty, frayed old pointed hat upon the lone stool there. Hundreds of eyes stared at the stool in anticipation. For a moment, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched, and wavered, and finally, a rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth and began to sing, raspily, loudly, and slightly off-key, but really sing:

"Oh, you many not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find,

A smarter hat then me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I am the Hogwarts Sorting Hat,

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden inside your head,

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

If you've a steady mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin,

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means,

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song and bowed, but Stella was different. Pointing to the hat, she screeched, "Omigosh! It's a creepy talking hat! Remy da Devil is after me! Ahh! Save me! Ahh! The hat's evil! Remy's in the creeper hat! Ahh!"

**AN: Stella likes to make a fool of herself, apparently. Tch. Tsk, tsk, no manners at all. I would've thought Remus would have taught her better. Sigh. With great shame and pride,**

**-The Last Gypsy Princess has logged off**


	17. Marauder Musings

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is © of J.K. Rowling, I do not own it in any way (but I wish I owned Remy, Sev, and Siri!)**

Marauder Musings and Remus's Reflections

It had been the sort of cliche friendship doomed to last even at the start, Remus reflected sadly as he gazed down longingly at the well-worn picture he held tenderly in his hands. He hadn't meant to find it, he'd just gotten curious to see exactly what the dusty old shoebox under his bed held.

He was being to miss Stella, even if she'd said goodbye to him just over three hours ago, and in order to keep himself from going crazy again from lonesomeness, he'd forced himself to enter his old bedroom, dearly praying Lunar hadn't materialized out of nowhere to hurt him (for a spirit she had a pretty strong bite), only to find the room empty of all traces of spirit cat, though he could swear he saw the tell-tale glint of icy eyes as he nervously edged his way in, only to spot the corner of a battered brown box peeking out from under his bed.

Remus had first dismissed it as Stella's makeshift rubbish, she had a bad habit of losing and nicking things, he'd once found Molly's prized book on gardening (a novel Remus found secretly amusing because of its author, a certain stunning blond idiot who claimed to have done of sorts of far-fetched things) hidden in her sheets and Cedric's spare set of Hufflepuff robes (which were oddly splotched with something that vaguely resembled lipstick) and even an odd green frog that vanished mysteriously and reappeared later on Stella's head that very morning. However, he couldn't help the nagging feeling that the box contained something much more important than the pickpocket-in-training's prized hoard, and after distracting himself with three cups of coffee, he couldn't bear the suspense any longer (and he'd ran out of coffee).

He perched himself delicately on the bed, which had not been properly made in days, and carefully opened the box. To his great surprise and sorrow, he found inside the last few artifacts of his school days- spare pieces of parchment James and Lily had folded over and over again into paper airplanes which they chucked at each other during History of Magic, usually containing James's pathetic attempts at asking Lily out, and Lily's stubborn refusals, the rough draft Sapphy herself had penned for the Marauder's Map, the first ever published copy of the Marauder's Approved, Foolproof List of Things 'Not' to Do at Hogwarts, and many other things Remus had long-since forgotten. But the most valuable of these was the lovingly cared-for black-and-white picture of their whole gang during their graduation. Lily, James, Sirius, Peter, Sapphire, himself, and even a skulking Snape watching almost wistfully in the shadowy background. Remus sighed as he fingered the worn picture, his eyes faraway even as those in the picture waved merrily up at him. He could still remember the day they'd all met for the first time...

Flashback:

_A young Remus was pushing his trolley alone through the bustling crowd of enthusiastic first-years and their parents. He sighed. He knew his parents loved him dearly, his mother had nearly broke down crying when she hugged him goodbye just outside the platform, and his father too had slightly moist eyes as he gave him a gruff goodbye hug, but he wished they'd actually come to see him off. Remus had never had any real friends, and he couldn't feel a pang of envy as he spotted a group of second-years exchanging high-fives and swapping stories about their summer as he climbed aboard the magnificent scarlet steam engine and walked down the narrow corridor in search of an empty compartment. The first few were already filled with older students, and it was only when he reached the very back of the train that he managed to find an empty compartment. _

_Sliding the door open, Remus took a seat and opened his book to read, only to be interrupted abruptly as two boys burst in, laughing and grinning. They stopped when they saw him and stood in the doorway awkwardly._

_"Mind if we share?" the first asked grinningly, his hazel eyes sparkling from behind lopsided wire glasses. Remus could only stare at them. They were obviously only first-years like him, but their very essence seemed to radiate cool. The boy must have noticed him looking, because he quickly introduced himself. "Oh, sorry. The name's James Potter, and this is-" He was cut off as the second boy jumped in to introduce himself._

_"Sirius Black, at your service," the boy said smoothly, executing a perfect sweeping low bow before straightening to grin up at Remus._

_"I don't mind," Remus finally squeaked out, almost speechless from how smoothly they were able to talk to him, a pure stranger. Whenever he met someone new, he usually tripped over his words and stammered._

_"Thanks," James said, plopping down across from Remus, Sirius following quickly. The two groups did their thing for a few minutes, Remus reading quietly and exchanging secret glances at the two, who carried on an animated conversation before Sirius turned to Remus._

_"Say, what's your name anyway?" he asked. "You don't look familiar."_

_Remus lowered his book. "Remus Lupin," he said, before adding, "But why would you know me anyway?"_

_"You've never heard of the Blacks?" James asked incredulously. "Why, they're the most well-known pureblood family around, even more so than the Potters or Malfoys."_

_"So you're both purebloods?" Remus asked, feeling slightly self-conscious. After all, he wasn't a pureblood._

_"Unfortunately," Sirius replied, making a face while James nodded. "And you?"_

_"Half-blood," Remus replied shortly, knowing what would happen next. Every time he tried to make friends, this is what happened. They'd learn he wasn't rich, act slightly awkward for several minutes, then leave quickly. So he was surprised when both broke into grins._

_"Really?" James asked, seeming fascinated. "Say, you wouldn't know who that cute red-headed girl three compartments over is? She's sitting with two others, but one's supposed to be a Lunaris, and they're all Slytherins, You-Know-Who's followers, you know, and the other seems unpleasant as well."_

_"I don't know anyone, really," Remus admitted. The boys smirked deviously. "C'mon, then, Remus, we'll introduce you!"_

_And with that, despite Remus's protests, they dragged him to the compartment three over and shoved him inside before following. Remus flushed as he realized James was right, there was a pretty girl in here, only she didn't have red hair, she had blond. _

_"Hey, James, I thought you said the cute girl had red hair," hissed Sirius, voicing Remus's thoughts, his gaze fixed on the blond. James appeared confused._

_"But she does," he replied, gesturing vaguely toward the girl with fiery red hair. She was staring at the boys in confusion and slight exasperation._

_"What are you doing here, Potter?" she sighed. James grinned devilishly at her._

_"Oh, so you know my name, do you?" he asked suggestively. The blond girl piped up._

_"Of course we do, the Potters are all idiotic flirts without the skill for picking up girls," she replied. Remus snorted, as did the dark haired boy sitting beside the redhead._

_"Easy for you to say, Lunaris," hissed James, bristling. She smiled at him and patted his head. _

_"Now, now, doggy, I was just kidding. You don't think I'm mean and scary like the rest of my family, do you?" she asked, adopting a puppy dog look. Remus nearly melted. She was adorable. _

_"Doggy?" James muttered in disbelief as the red head spoke up again._

_"Will you please leave already? Sev was just telling us something fascinating."_

_"Oh was he," James began slyly. "Well, if its so fascinating, we'd love to stay and listen. After all, Remy here loves books!" And with that, Remus was shoved into the Lunaris girl's lap. Flushing bright red, he apologized and took the seat beside her, while the other two boys settled down in the remaining space._

_"I hate you so much Potter," Lily snarled, and Remus couldn't help but smile. Well, this was certainly the start of an odd friendship._


	18. Christmas

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is © of J.K. Rowling, I do not own it in any way (but I wish I owned Remy, Sev, and Siri!)**

Frost glittered on the arched glass windows and on the leafy boughs of the trees outside. Snow covered the grounds in a soft white blanket. The Black Lake had frozen over in solid silvery ice, perfect for skating. The hallways were livened up with silver bells and holly wreathes. Live, flying reindeer trotted proudly past students, pulling red sleighs, tossing their antlered heads proudly and snorting, silver sleigh bells jingling. Doves flew freely in the Great Hall, and mockingbirds echoed each other's chirping calls. Rusty suits of armor were polished painstakingly by an even nastier Filch, and charmed to croak out-of-tune Christmas carols. Unsuspecting students were splattered with red and green paint by a cackling Peeves, dark eyes alight with laughter. Silvery tinsel and bells adorned giant evergreen Christmas trees already laden with golden stars, crystalline jeweled fairy lights and golden threads of popcorn strings. It was breathtaking beautiful. But Cedric hated it.

Perhaps he might not show it, tossing carefree grins at swooning second-years and joking around with his fellow seven-year 'Puffs, but he absolutely despised the winter. Maybe everyone else had forgotten the haunting Yule Ball's last few dances and Cedric's near-death encounter with Voldemort, but Cedric hadn't. He could still remember...

Flashback:

_a few days before the Yule Ball..._

_Cedric approached the gilded painting of The Fat Lady cautiously. He knew the password, Harry had trusted him enough to disclose it, muttering, "Don't thank me. I owe you, Cho said you wanted her to ask if I had a date yet, and if you gave her up for someone else, they must be really important," as he pressed the small scrap of paper into the then-sixth-year's palm. Cedric nodded, but avoided the younger boy's emerald gaze as he walked off quickly in search of the Gryffindor Common Room. Now that he was here, staring up at the plump brunette wearing a pink taffeta dress, he felt much more nervous._

_"You're not a Gryffindor," the woman said rudely, eying him beadily. Cedric wondered why her voice sounded so blurry, until he noticed the painted glass bottle of whiskey in her hand. She was drunk. Pasting on his best winning smile on his face, he gave his best flourishing bow and blew her a mock-kiss. _

_"Oh, milady, if only it t'was so, for I would be able to catch a glimpse of your beautiful face and breathtaking smile and hear your melodious laugh ring as I ask for permission to enter, that is- 'Lion's Heart'." The Fat Lady's heavily rouged cheeks flushed even redder and she let out an airy giggle, sounding identical to the disgustingly obsessive fangirls Cedric had encountered ever since the Goblet of Fire had chosen him as Hogwarts's first champion. _

_"How charming," she voiced, her voice honeyed as she let her portrait swing open. Cedric sighed with relief and stepped inside the portrait hole, glad to find the common room nearly empty, except for two people conversing on the couch. As he neared closer, he recognized the ravenette to be Stella, and the other to be- Cedric felt his hopes plummet to the bottom of his stomach as he came close enough to overhear them. _

_"Stella," the other person said, sounding definitely masculine. _

_"Yes, Fred?" Cedric clenched his fists tightly to his sides. So it was that Weasley kid. What was he doing talking to Stella? Cedric quickly shook his head. Why was he all of a sudden seeing red? He'd never totally felt truly comfortable with either of the Weasley Twins, they had never seen eye-to-eye, but he'd never found himself so angry. He loved Stella, she was like his little sister, but why was he so possessive suddenly? He was snapped out of his thought as Fred responded._

_"Eh, you wanna goe to the Ball with me?" That jerk! Cedric had wanted to ask Stella, before any more of his stalkers asked him. Ugh. Seriously? Spiking his pumpkin juice with love potions was not a pleasant experience. Now he could only hope Stella would refuse Fred._

_Unfortunately, it seemed like Luck was not on his side, for Stella, eyes shining, immediately responded, "Are you serious? I've never been to a ball before! It'll be so much fun!" she burbled joyfully, though Cedric had a funny feeling that she had no idea what a ball was. He glanced back at the two just to see Fred press an affectionate kiss on Stella's cheek before getting up. His merry blue eyes caught sight of Cedric and smirked victoriously in his direction. Before Stella could turn to see who Fred was looking at, Cedric was gone._

* * *

_Cedric might have not felt so bad after the Ball, his partner, the sly and sarcastic Fox Lestrange had a sense of rhythm hard to beat, and her dry comments about the other couples were rather entertaining, had he not glanced over his shoulder after waving the Slytherinish Gryffindor away. The sight he saw was so horrifying he couldn't tear his eyes away. Fred, his brilliant red head bent over a shorter figure whose face was obscured, was obviously kissing the girl goodbye. Her face might have been blocked, but Cedric's heart practically shattered when he caught a glimpse of blue eyes and black curls._

* * *

Cedric might look like the perfect guy, waving at his fans as he launched into a deep, meaningfully hushed conversation with Fox Lestrange, but deep inside, he knew: Fred Weaseley was not a friend. And he and his pesky twin shadow better watch out. 'Cuz one day, when they aren't looking, Karma's going to bite them from behind for taking Cedric's little girl away from him.

Oh yes, Cedric thought later, an uncharacteristically smirk hovering on his lips as he watched the Bat Bogey Hex work wonders on the surprised Twins. He exchanged a satisfied grin with Fox and the littlest Weaseley, a pretty redhead with a crush on the great Harry Potter. This was a wonderful Christmas after all.

* * *

Cedric flushed as the Great Hall burst into laughter as a dungbomb cleverly hidden in his pudding exploded. Meeting the wicked gazes of the Weasley twins across the Hall, he gave them a quick smirk of his own that only he caught. This was war. And this was only their first battle.

**AN: Christmas is only a few days away, so here's my present to you wonderful guys- a Christmas AU special that I will try my hardest to finish before Christmas. AU, so don't count on this story to actually happen, though some pieces of the plot are true, and should be noted for future reference. Cedric does not die, and both he and the Twins will harbor romantic feelings for Stella, but if she returns the affections or not is anyone's guess.**

**Impatient for Christmas,**

**The Last Gypsy Princess has logged off**


	19. Author's Note

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is © of J.K. Rowling, I do not own it in any way (but I wish I owned Remy, Sev, and Siri!)**

**AN: I'm sorry, to all those who favorited and put this story on their alerts, but I'm not finishing it. Stella's too much of a Mary Sue to me, and I can't stand writing the story right now, so I'm discontinuing it. I might rewrite it later on, but as for now, read some better story with actually realistic characters. Again, I'm really sorry, and I hope you won't kill me. For now, I'll just leave the story up until I can get around to rewriting it. **

**Edit: The first chapter of the prequel to this story is now up, "Destiny Works in Funny Ways"**


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